Reproduction

Like any other frog they lay their eggs in aquatic environments. They are also polygynandrous (promiscuous), meaning that the males and females have several mates. They perform sexual reproduction in that they fertilize the eggs from another organism. During the reproductive process the organism undergoes gametic meiosis in that their reproductive cells divide via meiosis to form a number of haploid gamete. The gamete from one frog must meet the gamete of another frog to form a zygote. The diploid zygote then divides mitotically to form the new frog. 
 
The males attract the females by making high-pitched calls also known as a trill. They engage in this courtship by singing a long trill that last 6 to 7 seconds followed by a shorter version of the trill. The frequency of this trill is 1800Hz which is a lower frequency compared to the rest of the Dendrobatidae. They lay clutches of eggs that usually don’t exceed 20 and when fertilized they don’t hatch more than 11 to 12 days later, typically taking 2 to 4 days for all to hatch. They are able to feed on Drosophila flies only ten days after hatching. They breed year round and have separate sexes (dioecious). The fertilization is external and it is usually no more than 55-60 days until the frogs become independent.
From this point the frogs take 10-16 months to reach sexual maturity but the average length is closer to 10 months. The male fertilizes the eggs and attaches them to its back to get them to the hatching site. After this point there is no further parental care. Once the eggs have hatched into tadpoles they will stick to the backs of the male frog and will then be carried up a tree into the forest canopy. The tadpoles will then be deposited into a Bromeliad, which is a flowering plant that has its leaves arranged in a spiral rosette, creating a “water tank” for the tadpoles to live and thrive in. Many other organisms including the Damselfly use these Bromeliads as a safehouse for their young. A common example of Bromeliads would be the Pineapple. From there the tadpoles eat mosquito larvae, algae and infertile eggs their parents have left for them.

Photo Courtesy of Dante Fenolio

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