Book 17, Question 111
How Do Poison Dart Frog Parents Carry Tadpoles to Tiny Pools?
Poison dart frog parents carry their tadpoles to tiny pools high in the trees! The tadpoles wriggle onto a parent's back and ride up the trunk. It is a lot of care for a very small frog.
More fun facts
- Poison frog eggs hatch on the ground among fallen leaves.
- The tadpoles wriggle onto their father's back, and he gives them a piggyback ride to water.
- Scientists tracked frog dads in Peru and French Guiana with tiny radio transmitters.
- Three striped poison frog fathers traveled about 215 meters on average, even though the nearest pool was about 52 meters away.
- Some fathers carried tadpoles as far as 400 meters.
- Two frogs even left the forest to drop tadpoles in flooded fields.
- Spreading tadpoles to faraway pools may mean less crowding and competition for food.
Sources: Scientific American
Questions kids ask
Why not just use the closest pool?
Scientists are not sure. Faraway pools may give tadpoles less competition and lower the chance of related frogs mating later, but the long trip costs the father energy and risk.