Dendrobates tinctorius
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[Photo] Dyeing Poison Dart Frog, Dendrobates tinctorius regina. Date: 18 June 2005. Photo by Radomil http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Radomil

Dendrobates tinctorius (or Dyeing Dart frog) is a species of poison dart frog, the type species of the genus Dendrobates. It is the largest species, reaching lengths of 50 mm. This species is distributed throughout the eastern portion of the Guiana Shield, including parts of Guyana, Suriname, Brazil, and nearly all of French Guiana.

Dendrobates tinctorius exists in discrete patches throughout this distribution, being restricted to "highland" (up to 350+ metre) areas. While this species can be found at sea level, these individuals have been collected at the base of nearby hills or mountains. The isolation of populations has presumably occurred as a result of the erosion of these highland areas and the seasonal inundation of the inter-patch areas.

The species encompasses a great diversity of colour and patterning variants (morphs). Some batrachologists suspect that they are actually different species. The name tinctorius comes, however, not from the variety of colors, but from the way some indigenous tribes use the frogs. They rub them on the skin of young parrots, and the poisoning of the parrots' skin causes them to grow feathers of different colors.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dendrobates_tinctorius

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