Blue Poison Dart Frog Postcard

Animal card showing a colourful blue poison dart frog. The blue poison dart frog or blue poison arrow frog or known by its native name, okapipi, (Dentrobates tinctorius "azureus") is a poison dart frog found in the forests surrounded by the Sipaliwini savannah, which is located in southern Suriname and adjacent far northern Brazil. It is a medium-sized frog that weighs about 8 grams and grows to 3.0-4.5 cm in length. Females are larger and about half a centimetre longer than males, but males have larger toes. The frog has a typical lifespan of five to seven years in the wild. Its bright blue skin, usually darker around its limbs and stomach, serves as a warning to predators. The glands of poisonous alkaloids located in the skin serve as a defence mechanism to potential predators. These poisons paralyse and sometimes kill the predator. The black spots are unique to each frog, enabling individuals to be identified. This species of frog has a distinctive hunch-backed posture.