Heliconia Ranitomeya

Mimic Poison Frog (Ranitomeya imitator) - Cordillera Escalera Conservation Area, Peru

 

This species of poison frog uses tiny pools of water to deposit its tadpoles in, the small size of the pools they use can be astounding. I had found a tadpole residing in a pool within a heliconia flower and was going to check up on it when I spotted this individual. Its a juvenile frog that was approaching adulthood that used another of the water pools within the Heliconia petals to take shelter in. They can be tricky to find but a good bet is to check various plant axils and small phytotelmata above ground level. This little frog carefully watched me, trying to determine if I was scary enough for him to make a break for it or whether he should stay put in his cushy pool. It was a bit of a challenge getting into position without flushing him but in the end after a bit of careful maneuvering I was able to get this shot and eventually leave him to enjoy his solitude in his Heliconia flower.

Done