Common Name: Pepper’s Poison Frog, Valle de Huallaga Poison Frog
Scientific Name: Ameerega pepperi
Family: Dendrobatidae – Poison Dart Frog family
Location: Peru
Female Size: 1.2 – 1.4 inches (30.8 – 34.4 mm)
Male Size: 1.1 inches (28.6 mm)
The Pepper’s Poison Frog is named after Mark Pepper, a Canadian conservationist that I’ve never heard of. The frog lives in premontane forests within 32 yards (30 meters) of a stream. They have bright colors to warn predators that they are toxic. However, they are not diurnal (active during the day).
During the day, the Pepper’s Poison Frog hides in the rocks and boulders next to the stream. At dusk, the male frogs move to an elevated spot on the rocks and start to call to attract the female frogs. Once the female frog arrives, the pair moves down to the leaf litter. There, the female frog lays between 22 – 44 eggs. After, the male frog fertilizes them and the female leaves. Then, the male frog guards the eggs until they hatch into tadpoles a couple weeks later. Next, the male frog carries the tadpoles on his back to a water body where they will complete their metamorphosis.
The frog can be found in the pet trade. Make sure to buy only captive bred animals and to read my article Preparing for a Pet Frog or Toad.
The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List assesses the Pepper’s Poison Frog as Vulnerable to Extinction. This is due to the frog having a small range that is threatened by agriculture expansion. Better protections are needed to save the species.