Ranita Dorada archivos - Fundación ProAves - por la conservación en el país de las aves

Located to the western side of the department of Cauca, on the banks of the imposing Timbiquí River, stands one of the most important areas on the Pacific Coast for the conservation of nature. There lies the Ranita Terribilis ProAves Reserve; established in 2008 by the Fundación ProAves to protect populations of the world’s most poisonous amphibian, Phyllobates terribilis.

The Golden Poison Dart Frog (La Rana Kokoi in Spanish), named after the ancestral people Eperara Siapidara, is a species of amphibian belonging to the Dendrobatidae family. There are several species of poisonous and endemic frogs in this family, from Central and South America, that are called poison dart frogs. This name comes from the fact that indigenous tribes used to smear the tips of their arrows on the back of the frog before hunting animals.

The distribution of the Golden Poison Dart Frog, considered an endemic species of Colombia, is restricted only to the department of Cauca. But the Dendrobatidae family, to which this amphibian belongs, is present in the entire biogeographic region of Chocó, from the department of Chocó in Colombia, to the province of Manabí in Ecuador.

Within the large family of Dendrobatids, La Rana Kokoi is relatively large, with adult individuals reaching between 5 and 5.5 centimeters. The entire group of poisonous frogs stands out, mainly, for different aposematic coloration patterns on the skin, a type of pigmentation that is usually related to the toxicity of the animal and functions as a warning sign against potential predators. Despite their name, not all Golden Poison Dart Frogs are golden; there are three different color morphs in the region.

PROTECTING THE HOME OF THE MOST POISONOUS AMPHIBIAN ON THE PLANET

The Ranita Terribilis ProAves Reserve is home to 2 of the 3 morphs present in the region. Empty coconut covers have been installed in the protected area for several years, with the purpose of being used by the frogs to deposit their young, helping the reproduction of the species; That is why one of the most important tasks of our team within the Nature Reserve is the daily monitoring of the population of Phyllobates terribilis.

The Golden Poison Dart Frog is listed as an endangered species, according to the IUCN red list, despite having a powerful defense system against predators. The survival of this amphibian is mainly threatened by human interference in its habitat due to hunting, capture and deforestation. Illegal wildlife trafficking in many places has caused enormous damage to populations leading to extinction.

THE HABITAT OF ONE OF THE DEADLIEST ANIMALS IN THE WORLD

In their natural habitat, these frogs are diurnal, they tend to look for food mainly in the morning and early afternoon. It is a carnivorous animal, whose diet consists of insects, mainly ants of the Brachymyrmex and Paratrechina families. Although they also catch crickets, caterpillars, flies, cockroaches, and beetles, among other insects.

Currently, many specialists assume that the very high toxicity of the Golden Poison Dart Frog is due to the high consumption of a small species of beetle, which in addition to producing formic acid, would also be capable of synthesizing Batrachotoxin. It is believe that the presence of this chemical in the frog’s diet contributes to their toxicity.

However, this hypothesis has not yet been confirmed. Within the same protected area, one of the ants most feared by the locals stands out, it is the Paraponera clavata, known locally as Konga. The pain from the sting of this insect is said to be greater than that of any other Hymenoptera and is classified as the most painful, according to the Schmidt index of pain by sting. It is possible that La Rana Kokoi includes this type of ants in its diet, making it the most poisonous amphibian on the planet. It’s so venous that the venom of a single frog would be enough to kill 10 people.

We thank the World Land Trust (WLT) and the American Bird Conservancy (ABC) for helping us protect and conserve the world’s most poisonous amphibian, Phyllobates terribilis.

The deforestation of tropical moist forests in the buffer zones of the Ranita Dorada ProAves Reserve, located in the mountains of the Falan municipality, in the Tolima department, threatens the biodiversity of the conserved area, in which 2 species of frogs are found: the Tolimense poison frog (Andinobates tolimensis) and the dotted poison frog (andinobates dorisswansonae) endemic to Colombia and categorized as Vulnerable (VU) by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

In the last few decades, the transformation of native forests in areas dedicated to deforestation have become the main threat to habitat for many species that depend on these conservation areas for survival. After many years of significant environmental destruction, the Fundación ProAves acquired the property that makes up the Ranita Dorada ProAves Reserve. It succeeded in a notable regeneration of native plant species in primary and secondary succession in what used to be paddocks, ultimately recuperating part of the habitat for various amphibious, mammal and bird species.

The Ranita Dorada ProAves Reserve, established in 2008 to prevent the extinction of the Andinobates tolimensis and the Andinobates dorisswansonae, is considered an area of exceptional ecological importance. Here, any disturbance in the natural area has the potential to create an irreparable environmental disequilibrium, triggering the loss of unique species, especially amphibians. The latter are exceptionally sensitive to environmental changes. Until now, Andinobates tolimensis has only been registered in the locality it was first discovered in 2007, the ProAves Reserve, which is the only habitat of the Tolimense poison frog.

Unfortunately, as of late, new deforestation activities are underway in an area adjacent to the Ranita Dorada ProAves Reserve, posing a real menace to the conservation efforts in progress there. The Fundación ProAves of Colombia makes an urgent call to the right entities so that they help us disseminate this dire situation, and help stop this great threat against the environment and, against the thousands of species that live in this area.

We appreciate the great support of IUCN, Dendrobatidae Nederland, Conservation International, Netherlands Postcode Lottery, and ASG for making this dream of saving the Tolimense poison frog a reality.