Hahnel's poison dart frog | |
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Physical description | |
Binomial name | Ameerega hanheli |
Habitat | Tropical rainforest |
Lifespan | 6-8 years |
Average Size | 2.5-3 cm (1.0-1.2 in) |
Average weight | 4 grams |
Diet | Insectivorous |
Conservational Status | |
Status | Least concern |
IUCN status | 3.1 |
Scientific classification | |
Phylum | Chordata |
Class | Amphibia |
Order | Anura |
Family | Dendrobatidae |
Genus | Ameerega |
Species | A. hahneli |
Distribution | |
Distribution of species | Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname |
Hahnel's poison dart frog, Ameerega hahneli, is a species of poison dart frog native to northern South America. Extremely common, it is, perhaps surprisingly rarely seen. Its loud, birdlike calls, however, form frequent choruses. It comes in two forms: the brown form, which is smaller and bulkier, and the black form, which is larger and more slender.
Poison[]
In Peruvian populations, the pyridine alkaloid epibatidine has been found in trace amounts. Epibatidine is a nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) agonist that is lethal at microgram doses. Once investigated for possible use as an analgesic agent, the alkaloid proved far too toxic for any application in human medicine and is presently used exclusively for research purposes.