The Granular Poison Frog, Oophaga granulifera, is a species of frog in the family Dendrobatidae, found in Costa Rica and Panama. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical, moist, lowland forests, but it is threatened by habitat loss. This frog has been reclassified from Dendrobates granuliferus to Oophaga granulifera.
The frog is an aposematic animal, and it uses poison only for self-defense from predators. Its clearly visible red color is designed as a warning signal to all possible predators. Experimental studies in Costa Rica suggest that the male granular poison frog spends the majority of its time and energy defending its calling site. And the data from these studies also show that these warning signals are more vocal (acoustic) than visual. If an encroaching male granular poison frog were to dare approach too closely, these frogs have no qualms about engaging physically. The lengths they will go to defend their territory epitomize their unique aggressive behavior.
Famous quotes containing the words granular, poison and/or frog:
“I feel like a white granular mass of amorphous crystals—my formula appears to be isomeric with Spasmotoxin. My aurochloride precipitates into beautiful prismatic needles. My Platinochloride develops octohedron crystals,—with a fine blue florescence. My physiological action is not indifferent. One millionth of a grain injected under the skin of a frog produced instantaneous death accompanied by an orange blossom odor.”
—Lafcadio Hearn (1850–1904)
“If you prick us, do we not bleed? If you tickle us, do we not laugh? If you poison us, do we not die? And if you wrong us, shall we not revenge? If we are like you in the rest, we will resemble you in that. If a Jew wrong a Christian, what is his humility? Revenge. If a Christian wrong a Jew, what should his sufferance be by Christian example? Why, revenge. The villainy you teach me, I will execute, and it shall go hard but I will better the instruction.”
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616)
“An old pond—
a frog tumbles in—
the sound of water.”
—Matsuo Basho (1644–1694)