Common Name: Blessed Poison Frog
Scientific Name: Ranitomeya benedicta
Family: Dendrobatidae – Poison Dart Frog family
Location: Peru
Size: 0.65 – 0.8 inches (16.5 – 20.2 mm)
The Blessed Poison Frog lives in trees of the lowland rainforests. They prefer undisturbed areas. The frogs are diurnal, active during the day, thanks to their poison and coloration that scares away predators.
During the mating season, the males call from the forest floor to attract females. The female lays 4 – 6 eggs on the ground. Once the eggs hatch, the males transport the tadpoles on their back to large bromeliads where the tadpoles will finish their metamorphosis.
The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List assesses the Blessed Poison Frog as Vulnerable to Extinction. The forests the frogs call home are being destroyed to make room for farms or just for logging. The frogs themselves are also being overharvested for the pet industry. Make sure to buy your frogs captive bred.