The Palm House of the Debrecen Zoo has seen a rather exciting late 2019 and early 2020 as, besides a tadpole from last year’s newcomers, the Vietnamese mossy frogs, we have also welcomed three green-and-black poison dart frog offspring after keepers secured a frogspawn of four eggs on December 29.
Now developing behind the scenes, the little ones will hopefully join Hungary’s largest zoo population of this species in a couple months.
Native to lowland rainforests in Central America and the northwestern region of South America, green-and-black poison dart frogs (Dendrobates auratus) are one of the best known and most variable poison dart frog species, with dark brown or black skin typically mottled with mint green or, depending on the exact habitat, emerald green, turquoise or pale yellow. While some animals hide from potential danger by blending in with the environment, poison dart frogs use their flamboyant looks as a means of warning predators of the harmful effects of eating them or, rather, the toxin released through their skin. Due to its impressive looks and manageable size, the green-and-black poison dart frog is a popular terrarium species, with trade restrictions by Appendix II of CITES. Although only listed as a Least Concern species in the IUCN’s Red List of Threatened Species, several of its color variants are under increasing pressure from habitat loss and climate change.
Debrecen Zoo and Amusement Park
