It is said that beauty means danger…isn’t it? This is true in
the case of one of the most beautiful creatures of the tropical
rain forest: The Poison Dart Frog (Oophaga pumilio) This little
tiny amphibians (not larger than a nail) are found on the floor
of the forest, on the caribbean slopes of Costa Rica. You can
easily find them if you follow their sharping noise, putting
your hands right behind your ears. Suddenly, their bright colors
(red and blue) display their position and…there it is! A letal
weapon for most of the predators in the forest, with the
exception, maybe, of the huge Bull Frog (Leptodactylus savage)
This froggies feed on ants and termites, they get the formic
acid from their preys and turn it into a neurotoxin called
pumiliotoxin, a substance wich is able to paralize the muscles
and kill by sofocation or a heart attack. The males on this
species are highly territorial, they defend their territory
(about 8 square feet) from other males. The defense of it asures
the quantity of ants and termit