''Ranitomeya sirensis'' is a species of

poison dart frog Poison dart frog (also known as dart-poison frog, poison frog or formerly known as poison arrow frog) is the common name of a group of frogs in the family Dendrobatidae which are native to tropical Central and South America. These species are ...

found in the Amazonian rainforests of northern

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Pando Department Pando is a department in Northern Bolivia, with an area of , in the Amazon Rainforest, adjoining the border with Brazil and Perú. Pando has a population 154,355 (2020 census). Its capital is the city of Cobija. The department, which is named ...

), westernmost

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

(

Acre The acre is a unit of land area used in the imperial Imperial is that which relates to an empire, emperor, or imperialism. Imperial or The Imperial may also refer to: Places United States * Imperial, California * Imperial, Missouri * Imp ...

), and eastern

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal , national_motto = "Fi ...

. ''R. sirensis'' is known as the Sira poison frog. ''R. sirensis'' is kept as a pet by herpetoculturists and is considered to be one of the more difficult poison dart frogs to keep due to its relative rarity and the delicate nature of its

tadpoles A tadpole is the larval stage in the biological life cycle of an amphibian. Most tadpoles are fully aquatic, though some species of amphibians have tadpoles that are terrestrial. Tadpoles have some fish-like features that may not be found in ...

Poison

Like most ''

Ranitomeya ''Ranitomeya'' is a genus of dart poison frogs found in Panama and South America south to Peru and Brazil, possibly into Bolivia. Taxonomy In 2006 Grant ''et al.'' revised the systematics of poison dart frogs and placed many species formerly cla ...

'' species, ''R. sirensis'' is a mildly toxic poison dart frog. Its skin secretes small amounts of pumiliotoxins which coat the frog and cause pain and mild muscle spasms if the frog is handled carelessly. The symptoms may be more severe if the frog is ingested, but unlike the ''

Phyllobates ''Phyllobates'' is a genus of poison dart frogs native to Central and South America, from Nicaragua to Colombia. There are 3 different Colombian species of ''Phyllobates'', considered highly toxic species due to the poison they contain in the wil ...

'' and ''

Oophaga ''Oophaga'' is a genus of poison-dart frogs containing twelve species, many of which were formerly placed in the genus ''Dendrobates''. The frogs are distributed in Central and South America, from Nicaragua through the Colombian El Choco to nor ...

'' species, ''R. sirensis'' secretes the comparatively mild pumiliotoxin C in very small quantities due to its tiny size. As a result, ''sirensis'' mostly rely on their agility, speed, and ability to take shelter in the leaf litter or in dense foliage for protection. ''R. sirensis'', as with all dendrobatid frogs, loses its poison in captivity. The reason for the loss of its toxicity is thought to be the removal of a toxic insect or other invertebrate from the diet. Scientists have determined that members of the genus ''

'' derive their dangerously potent toxins from local melyrid

beetle Beetles are insects that form the order Coleoptera (), in the superorder Endopterygota. Their front pair of wings are hardened into wing-cases, elytra, distinguishing them from most other insects. The Coleoptera, with about 400,000 describ ...

s.Most poisonous creature update: mystery solved
/ref> As ''R. sirensis'' is much less toxic than the ''Phyllobates'' species, the source of its toxin is not thought to be melyrid beetles; instead, it is likely an invertebrate that remains undiscovered.

Habitat and conservation

''R. sirensis'' inhabits premontane, montane and lowland moist secondary tropical forests. It tolerates some degree of habitat modification. It is collected for illegal pet trade, which is a threat particularly to isolated subpopulations with extreme colour morphs.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q1343792 Ranitomeya Amphibians described in 1991 Amphibians of Bolivia Amphibians of Brazil Amphibians of Peru