A tiny but eye-catching amphibian found only in a small region of the Amazon rainforest in central Peru. Though it may be just about the size of a paperclip, it packs a punch when it comes to looks and behavior. With its bold orange body, black bands, and bright blue legs flecked with black spots, this little frog looks like a graffiti artist designed it — and that’s no accident.
What makes Summers’ poison frog different from other poison frogs — even its close relatives in the Ranitomeya genus — is its distinct pattern of wide black bands that wrap completely around its bright body, almost like it’s wearing a tiny superhero belt. It’s sometimes confused with the mimic poison frog (Ranitomeya imitator), which evolved to look very similar — but only Summers’ poison frog sports that fully encircling black band. This is a textbook example of Müllerian mimicry, where two toxic species evolve to resemble each other for mutual benefit — so predators avoid both.
Even though it’s small, Summers’ poison frog has a big personality. Males are extremely territorial and will aggressively defend their space, even calling loudly to show they’re in charge. Their trilling call sounds a bit like a bird’s chirp and can be heard echoing through the understory. And their parenting style? Surprisingly sweet. After the female lays a small clutch of eggs in leaf litter, the male will guard them and then transport the hatched tadpoles one by one on his back to tiny pools of water, usually in bromeliads or tree holes. He’ll even return regularly to feed them with unfertilized eggs, carefully provided by the female — it’s amphibian co-parenting at its best.
Like other poison frogs, Summers’ poison frogs don’t actually produce their own toxins. Instead, their skin toxins come from their diet of ants, mites, and other small arthropods found in the wild. Frogs raised in captivity on a non-toxic diet completely lose their toxicity, which is why you might see them in specialized zoos or frog collections — but never in your backyard (or your hands!).
Distribution
PeruAnything we've missed?
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Terrestrial / Aquatic
Altricial / Precocial
Polygamous / Monogamous
Dimorphic / Monomorphic (size)
Active: Diurnal / Nocturnal
Social behavior: Solitary / Pack / Herd
Diet: Carnivore / Herbivore / Omnivore / Piscivorous / Insectivore
Migratory: Yes / No
Domesticated: Yes / No
Dangerous: Yes / No
