Details
Oophaga pumilio
The strawberry poison frog is a tiny poison frog of Neotropical forests. It is a solitary diurnal carnivore.
Map: Ecoregions 2017 © RESOLVE (CC BY 4.0) · Natural Earth (PD)
It uses humid lowland forest floors, leaf litter, and root bases. Tiny pools and water held in plants support reproduction.
Body length is about 1.7-2.4 cm and weight about 1-2 g. The red body with blue legs is famous, but local color forms vary widely.
It is diurnal and solitary. Individuals move through small territories and signal with calls and postures.
It is carnivorous, eating ants, mites, and tiny insects. Wild toxicity is linked to compounds obtained from prey.
Females are known to feed tadpoles with unfertilized eggs. Tadpoles develop in small water pockets.
Its conservation status is LC. Despite its size, it is well known for elaborate parental care.
