Amphibians
Little Devil Poison Frog
Oophaga sylvatica · also called diablito
Travel just a short distance through the rainforests of western Ecuador and a little devil poison frog can look almost unrecognisable from one it shares a species with elsewhere, its colour and pattern shifting dramatically from population to population despite an identical genetic heritage underneath.
Overview
The little devil poison frog, Oophaga sylvatica, is a small, toxic amphibian native to rainforest habitat across western Ecuador and Colombia. Its extraordinary colour variation between populations and diet-derived toxicity make it a particularly interesting subject for researchers studying poison frog evolution.
Toxicity borrowed, not built
Rather than manufacturing its own defensive chemicals, the little devil poison frog simply accumulates toxins from specific prey in its diet, meaning its famous toxicity is entirely dependent on continued access to the right insects within its native rainforest habitat.
Status
Endangered — declining significantly due to extensive deforestation across its limited range in western Ecuador and Colombia.
Little Devil Poison Frog: common questions
Why do little devil poison frogs look so different from population to population?
The little devil poison frog displays extremely variable colouration and pattern between different populations, to the extent that individuals from different locations can look strikingly different from one another despite belonging to the same species, a pattern of variation that has made the species notable among researchers studying poison frog colouration.
Is the little devil poison frog toxic because of what it eats?
Yes, like other poison frogs, the little devil poison frog does not produce its toxins from scratch but instead accumulates them from specific toxic prey items in its diet, such as certain mites and ants, meaning captive-bred individuals raised on a non-toxic diet are generally non-toxic themselves.
How does a male little devil poison frog care for its young?
A male little devil poison frog typically provides dedicated parental care, transporting tadpoles on his back to suitable small pools of water where they can continue developing away from the competition and predation risk present in larger, more exposed bodies of water.
Where does the little devil poison frog live?
The little devil poison frog is native to rainforest habitat across parts of western Ecuador and Colombia, generally favouring humid lowland and foothill forest, though extensive deforestation across this limited range has significantly reduced the amount of suitable habitat remaining for the species.