Dendrobates azureus

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"Okopipi" redirects here. For the anti-spam software tool, see Okopipi (software tool).

iDendrobates azureus

Conservation status

Vulnerable (VU)

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Amphibia
Order:	Anura
Suborder:	Neobatrachia
Family:	Dendrobatidae
Genus:	Dendrobates
Species:	D. azureus

Binomial name

Dendrobates azureus
(Girard, 1855)

Dendrobates azureus is a type of poison dart frog found in South America, specifically in the Sipaliwini District in Suriname. Dendrobates azureus is widely known as the Blue Poison Dart Frog or by its Tirio Indian name, Okopipi.

1 Physical description
2 Ecology and behavior
3 Trivia
4 References
5 External links

[edit] Physical description

The frog has blue skin and black patches, which serve as a warning to would-be predators that the skin contains a deadly neurotoxin. It grows between 3 and 4.5 cm in length and has a typical lifespan of five years in the wild.

Blue Poison Dart frog Dendrobates azureus from Surinam (South America)

[edit] Ecology and behavior

Within its native range, Dendrobates azureus is found in dark moist areas, especially under rocks near streams. Unlike most frogs, it lays its eggs on land, usually under a rock in a mossy area.

Although Poison dart frogs are known for their skin toxin, used on the tips of arrows or darts of natives, in reality only the species of the Phyllobates genus are used in this manner, although all poison dart frogs have some level of toxicity. The paralytic neurotoxins are not produced by the frog itself, but taken from many of its insect prey in the wild and deposited in the skin. As a result, frogs raised in captivity (often for the pet market) lack defensive poison.

[edit] Trivia

Dendrobates azureus is the mascot of the Azureus project, an open source client for the BitTorrent protocol.
Okopipi (software tool) is also the name used by the newer version of Blue Frog.

[edit] References

Reynolds et al (2004). Dendrobates azureus. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 11 May 2006. Database entry includes a range map and justification for why this species is vulnerable