Golfodulcean poison dart frog

Phyllobates vittatus

Phyllobates vittatus is a striking poison dart frog native to Costa Rica and western Panama, best known for its bold black body with bright yellow striping and its place in the highly toxic Phyllobates genus.

🐸 Quick Facts

• Family: Dendrobatidae
  
  

• Size: ~2.5–3.5 cm (1–1.4 in)
  
  

• Lifespan: 5–10+ years (longer in captivity)
  
  

• Activity: Diurnal (day-active)
  
  

• Toxicity: Yes (very toxic in the wild)

🌿 Habitat & Range

• Lowland and premontane rainforests
  
  

• Often found in leaf litter near streams
  
  

• Elevation: roughly 20–550 m
  
  

• Native to the Golfo Dulce region of Costa Rica and parts of Panama
  
  

🎨 Appearance

• Glossy black base color
  
  

• Two bright yellow or yellow-orange dorsolateral stripes
  
  

• Smooth skin, slender body
  
  

• Females are typically slightly larger than males

☠️ Toxicity (Important!)

• In the wild, P. vittatus carries potent alkaloid toxins derived from its diet (ants, mites).
  
  

• In captivity, they are non-toxic because captive diets lack these alkaloids.
  
  

• Despite this, they should never be handled unnecessarily.

🐜 Diet

• Wild: Ants, mites, small arthropods
  
  

• Captivity:
  
  

• Flightless fruit flies
  
  

• Springtails
  
  

• Pinhead crickets
  
  

• Isopods (occasionally)

💚 Behavior

• Active and bold during daylight
  
  

• Males produce soft buzzing or trilling calls
  
  

• Territorial but not overly aggressive
  
  

• Excellent climbers despite being leaf-litter oriented

🥚 Reproduction

• Eggs laid on moist leaves or hidden surfaces
  
  

• Males often guard eggs
  
  

• Tadpoles are transported to small pools or water-filled leaf axils
  
  

• Tadpoles are carnivorous

🛡️ Conservation Status

• IUCN: Near Threatened
  
  

• Threats:
  
  

• Habitat loss (deforestation)
  
  

• Illegal pet trade (historically)
  
  

• Protected in parts of its native range

🧪 Fun Fact

The Phyllobates genus includes some of the most toxic vertebrates on Earth—related species were historically used by Indigenous peoples for poisoning blowgun darts.