Okopipian Blue. Dendrobates tinctorius 'azureus' Hoogmoed, Blue Arrow Poison Frog, Artis Royal Zoo, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
So exciting to read the notes by Marinus Steven Hoogmoed (1942-) on how he came to find this beautifully painted blue Poison Arrow Frog in the early Autumn of 1968. He was part of a naturalist expedition in the south of Surinam and specifically the Vier Gebroeders Mountain of the Sepaliwini District. See his notes in Zoologische Mededelingen 44 (1969). At first it was thought to be a new species, but DNA analysis has shown it to be conspecific with the non-blue but very colorful Dendrobates tinctorius Schneider (1779). Regardless, 'Azureus' is a marvellous discovery!
If I understand correctly, this is a Blue Lady, as can be seen from the small rounded toe-tips and from the rather pronounced 'hunch-back'.
This particular Lady makes her home in the Aquarium Building of Amsterdam's Artis Zoo. That means that her skin exudations are not allopumiliotoxic - so no poison for your arrows! It is assumed that Okopipi's poison is produced from its diet of certain venomous insects. But at the Zoo it eats only crickets and fruit flies, so it's quite harmless here. 'Okopipi' is the name given it by the Tiriyó people who live on the border of Brazil and Surinam.
The Zoo environment also accounts for her less than brilliant blue color; as does my photography through the rather thick glass of Okopipi's terrarium.
You might imagine that I, as Rana Pipiens, have a soft spot for Okopipi. Still, much as I love Family, I'm a bit skeptical because her toes aren't webbed!
Okopipian Blue. Dendrobates tinctorius 'azureus' Hoogmoed, Blue Arrow Poison Frog, Artis Royal Zoo, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
So exciting to read the notes by Marinus Steven Hoogmoed (1942-) on how he came to find this beautifully painted blue Poison Arrow Frog in the early Autumn of 1968. He was part of a naturalist expedition in the south of Surinam and specifically the Vier Gebroeders Mountain of the Sepaliwini District. See his notes in Zoologische Mededelingen 44 (1969). At first it was thought to be a new species, but DNA analysis has shown it to be conspecific with the non-blue but very colorful Dendrobates tinctorius Schneider (1779). Regardless, 'Azureus' is a marvellous discovery!
If I understand correctly, this is a Blue Lady, as can be seen from the small rounded toe-tips and from the rather pronounced 'hunch-back'.
This particular Lady makes her home in the Aquarium Building of Amsterdam's Artis Zoo. That means that her skin exudations are not allopumiliotoxic - so no poison for your arrows! It is assumed that Okopipi's poison is produced from its diet of certain venomous insects. But at the Zoo it eats only crickets and fruit flies, so it's quite harmless here. 'Okopipi' is the name given it by the Tiriyó people who live on the border of Brazil and Surinam.
The Zoo environment also accounts for her less than brilliant blue color; as does my photography through the rather thick glass of Okopipi's terrarium.
You might imagine that I, as Rana Pipiens, have a soft spot for Okopipi. Still, much as I love Family, I'm a bit skeptical because her toes aren't webbed!