Species Fact Profile: Yellow-Banded Poison Dart Frog (Dendrobates leucomelas)

                                     Yellow-Banded (Bumblebee) Poison Dart Frog

Dendrobates leucomelas (Steindachner, 1864)

Range: Northern South America (primarily eastern Venezuela)

Habitat: Lowland Tropical Rainforest, up to 800 Meters Elevation

Diet: Ants, Termites, Small Beetles

Social Grouping: Solitary, will congregate during dry season in damp locations

Reproduction:  Breed in February and March.  Males identify sites for the females to lay their eggs, usually on leaves overhanging water.   Females may lay up to 1000 eggs per breeding season in clutches of 2-12 eggs.  After they are laid, the male fertilizes and watches over the eggs, making sure the eggs remain moist.  Eggs hatch into tadpoles after 10-14 days, develop into froglets after 2-3 months.  Sexually mature at 12-18 months

Lifespan: 20 Years

      Conservation Status: IUCN Least Concern, CITES Appendix II

•       One of the largest dart frogs, measuring up to 5 centimeters long (usually 3-4) and weighing 3 grams.  Females are larger than males
•       Distinctive black and yellow banding, with each frog having a unique individual pattern; the black bands break into spots as the frog ages.  The underside is solid black.  The coloration serves as a warning of the poisons in their skins
•       Primarily live on the ground, but climb trees, especially to find sites to lay eggs
•       Communicate with a series of chirps, buzzes, trills, and hums
•       During the dry season, these frogs estivate (go dormant), the only dart frog species known to show this behavior
•       One of the most commonly kept poison dart frogs in the pet trade; breeds readily, so probably not posing much of a threat to wild populations through demand for pets
•       Toxins in the skin are obtained from eating certain arthropods.  Toxins not as prevalent in frogs raised in captivity and fed diet of domestic insects