Herpetology Notes, volume 12: 1185-1191 (2019) (published online on 04 December 2019)

Diet of the yellow striped poison frog, Dendrobates truncatus

(Cope, 1861) (Anura: Dendrobatidae) from the Middle
Magdalena river valley, Colombia

Mateo Marín-Martínez1,*, Maria Silvana Cárdenas-Ortega1, Jorge Mario Herrera-Lopera1,

and Julián Andrés Rojas-Morales2

Abstract. This study describes the diet of Dendrobates truncatus (Cope, 1861) based on stomach contents of 25 individuals
from four localities in the middle Magdalena River valley, department of Caldas, Colombia. A total of 824 prey items were
identified and grouped into 21 categories. Formicids (Hymenoptera) were among the most abundant prey, representing 83.4%
of the items, followed by Acari (10.7%) and Coleoptera (2.4%). In terms of volume, formicids (83%) and mites (7.1%) were
the most dominant taxa. Among formicids, the genus Solenopsis was the most important prey item, since it was found in 61%
of the contents. The correlation analyses for prey abundance, volume, and richness did not show any type of relation between
the latter variables and morphological measurements of the frogs. Our results show that D. truncatus is similar to other frogs
of the family Dendrobatidae by displaying an ant-based specialized diet.

Key words. Specialized diet, food choice, Ant-specialist, poison dart-frog, central Andes

Introduction 1980; 1995; Simon and Toft, 1991). In the case of body
size, as individuals became larger, the kind of prey that
In general terms, anurans are known to be generalist
they select may change, ingesting increasingly larger
predators that feed on a wide variety of prey (Solé and
prey items as well as a broader spectrum of prey size
Rödder, 2009; Gómez-Hoyos et al., 2014, Gutiérrez-
(Duellman and Trueb, 1994; Parmelee, 1999; Vitt and
Cárdenas et al., 2015; Solé et al., 2017), and this
Caldwell, 2014). In amphibians, information regarding
indirectly reflects the availability of prey in the
their diets can be useful to answer key biological
environment (Duellman and Trueb, 1994; Vitt and
questions in many disciplines, such as ecology, evolution,
Caldwell, 2014). However, in some particular cases,
and conservation (Bury, 2006; Anderson, 2012, 2017),
several species have shown to be selective in their
since the study of diets allows to infer population fluxes
food choices, where the intake of certain types of prey
and the impact of habitat disturbance on populations.
depends on diverse factors, allowing these frogs species
Furthermore, this knowledge is important for the
a certain degree of specialization (Toft, 1980; Simon
protection and effective management of threatened and
and Toft, 1991; Vitt and Caldwell, 2014). Many factors
endangered species (Parmelee, 1999; Bury, 2006; Solé
influence the diet of amphibians, including temporal
and Rödder, 2009).
variations in food abundance, the presence or absence
Dendrobates truncatus (Cope, 1861) is a poison dart
of competition, foraging strategies and body size (Toft,
frog species, endemic to Colombia, that is distributed
in humid forests, sub-Andean forests, and dry forests
of the lowlands of the Magdalena River valley and the
Caribbean region, between 0 and 1800 m (Corredor-
Londoño and Uribe-Tovar, 2008; Gualdrón-Duarte et
1
Grupo de Ecología y Diversidad de Anfibios y Reptiles, al., 2016; Acosta-Galvis, 2018). The diet of this species,
Universidad de Caldas, Manizales, Caldas, Colombia.
even among different populations, consists mainly of
2
Facultad de Ciencias Básicas, Corporación Universitaria
Santa Rosa de Cabal (UNISARC), Campus Universitario “El
ants of the subfamily Myrmicinae and mites (Erazo-
Jazmín” Km 4 Vía Santa Rosa de Cabal, Risaralda, 661028, Londoño et al., 2016; Posso-Peláez et al., 2017). Its
Colombia. dietary composition has been found significantly related
*
Corresponding author e-mail: [email protected] with seasonal changes (Posso-Peláez et al., 2017).
1186 Mateo Marín-Martínez� et al.

This study aimed to examine the dietary composition recorded for each individual using a calliper: Snout-vent
of D. truncatus in four populations from the middle length (SVL), mandibular width (MW), mandibular
Magdalena River valley, as well as to assess the relation height (MH), and mandibular length (ML). The prey
of the diet with body size. items from the stomach contents were identified to the
lowest possible taxonomic level. Likewise, prey counts
Materials and methods and volume measurements were also recorded, for
The data was obtained from independent studies carried which only complete prey items were considered and
out in the municipalities of Norcasia, Victoria, Samaná, their volume was calculated by the ellipsoid formula
and La Dorada from the department of Caldas, in areas (Magnusson et al., 2003).
influenced by the Hydroelectric Power Plant Miel I, We compared the relative ratio of each prey item
between 250 and 700 m of altitude (Fig. 1). Stomach using the index of relative importance (IRI) (Pinkas
contents were taken from: (a) specimens deposited at et al., 1971; Solé and Rödder, 2009). For this, we only
the Museo de Historia Natural de la Universidad de considered prey for which it was possible to calculate
Caldas (MHN-UCa) and (b) a field study conducted their volume. The trophic niche amplitude was also
from 2015-2017 in the areas influenced by the dams assessed, based on Levin’s standardized Index (1968),
of the Manso and Guarinó Rivers that supply the according to the absolute frequency (pi) of each prey
taxon.
±
hydroelectric plant. For the field-collected specimens,
their stomach contents were obtained from a gastric 1
lavage (see Solé et al., 2005 for a protocol description), −
∑  
while for the collection individuals, the contents were
extracted through a ventral dissection (intestines and We standardized a scale ranging from zero to one,
stomach were used). The following variables were where zero corresponds to specialist species and
−1
 =
−1

Figure 1. Study sites in the department of Caldas.

 ± ± ±
Diet of the yellow striped poison frog, Colombia 1 1187
1
1 −
∑
  
−
∑
 


−
∑ species,
one to generalist  using Levin’s standardized Results −1 −1
 =  =
Index formula to calculate (B) and the number of prey −1 −1
We captured and analysed 25 individuals
± ± of D.
categories (n). 1 1
truncatus (SVL x =± 25.6 − ± 2.7 mm; MW x =
∑ 
   − 7.4 ±
∑ 
 

−1 0.5 mm; Table 1); eight ∑ 

1
 − individuals through dissection,
 

 = and 17 by gastric lavages.



 = Of the individuals analysed,

−1 −1
−1 −1
 =
−1
92% showed at leastone = type of prey in their stomach
−1

In order to determine that the richness values of the −1

contents (Abundance x = 63.5 ± 67; Volume x = 14 ±
prey items were indeed representative, we generated
20.8 mm3; Richness x = 5 ± 4 prey items). In total, 1522
species accumulation curves using the accumulated
x
trophic novelties versus the number of stomach
prey items were extracted, of which 824 were complete
and could be classified into 21 prey categories (Table
contents assessed. Spearman’s correlation was used to
2). Formicids were the most abundant taxa, spanning
study the relation among morphological variables and
83.4% of the counts, followed by Acari (10.7%) and
prey volume, abundance, and richness. These analyses
Coleoptera (2.4%). In terms of volume, formicids (83%)
were performed after assessing a normal distribution of
and mites (7.1%) were the dominant taxa. According to
the data. All analysis were performed using R project
the relative importance index (IRI), Formicidae (IRI =
3.6.1.
151.2), Acari (IRI = 8.5), and Coleoptera (IRI = 3.4)
were again found to be the most important (see Table
2). Among formicids, we identified seven subfamilies
Table 1. Morphological traits in mm for individuals of D. and 15 genera. The most representative genera were
truncatus. Snout-vent length (SVL); Mandibular width (MW); Solenopsis (n = 397, vol = 93.2 mm3; IRI = 56.3) and
1. Morphological traits in mm for individuals of D. truncatus. Snout-vent length (SVL); Mandibular
Mandibular height (MH), and Mandibular length (ML). Crematogaster (n= 85, vol = 96.3 mm3; IRI= 12.6;
width (MW); Mandibular height (MH), and Mandibular length (ML).
Table 3). We found values close to zero for the trophic
Municipality SVL MW MH ML niche index (0.02 including all prey items, and 0.1 using
Norcasia 25.3 7.3 2.5 5.9 only the family Formicidae). The abundance-based
Norcasia 24.4 7.5 2.7 6.1 estimator (Chao1) showed a representative percentage
Norcasia 24.9 8 2.7 6 of prey items between 69% and 99%, indicating that
Norcasia 23.6 7.1 2.1 5.5
prey richness is indeed representative (Fig. 2). The
correlation analyses for prey abundance, volume, and
Norcasia 21.2 6.2 1.5 4
richness did not show any type of relation between the
Norcasia 24.6 7.3 2.6 6.4
latter variables and the morphological measurements of
La Dorada 24.8 7.2 2.2 6.2
the individuals (p-value > 0.05).
La Dorada 25.9 7 2 5.8
Samaná 25.5 7.1 2.2 5.3
Samaná 23.6 6.9 2.7 5.8
Samaná 21.4 6.4 2.1 5
Victoria 29.5 8.2 3.2 6.6
Victoria 29 7.8 2.4 5.9
Victoria 29.8 8 2.9 5.9
Victoria 30 8.3 3.1 6.5
Victoria 26.2 7.8 3 5.5
Victoria 27 7.8 3.1 5.7
Victoria 26.8 7.8 2.3 6.1
Victoria 24.6 7.6 2.8 5.8
Victoria 24.2 6.5 3 5.6
Victoria 29.5 8.1 3.2 6
Victoria 26.11 8.1 2.8 5.1
Victoria 19.2 - - -
Figure 2. Species accumulation curve for trophic novelties
Victoria 27.7 7.4 3 5.9
versus the number of stomach contents assessed, in the diet of
Victoria 26.5 8 2.4 5.8
Dendrobates truncatus in Caldas, Colombia.
1188 Mateo Marín-Martínez� et al.

Table 2. Diet composition and prey choice of Dendrobates truncatus in the Magdalena valley in Caldas, Colombia. N: number
of prey; %N:Table 2. Dietofcomposition
percentage and prey
number of prey; % V:choice of D. truncatus
percentage in of
of volume theprey;
Magdalena valley in Caldas,
% F: percentage Colombia:
of frequency N: prey item;
of each
number of prey; %N: percentage of number of prey; % V: percentage of volume of prey; % F: percentage of
IRI: relative importance index; UI: Unidentificated
frequency of each prey item; IRI: relative importance index. UI: Unidentificated

Prey items N %N V %V F %F IRI

(Completes) (mm3)
Class Arachnida 90 10.92 23.15 7.2 12 0.52 9.45
Order Acari 88 10.68 22.84 7.1 11.00 0.48 8.50
Order Araneae 2 0.24 0.31 0.1 1 0.04 0.01
Family Pholcidae 1 0.12 0.26 0.1 1.00 0.04 0.01
Family Salticidae 1 0.12 0.05 0.0 1.00 0.04 0.01

Order Pseudoscorpionida (Incomplete) - - - - - -

Class Diplopoda 3 0.36 1.11 0.3 3 0.13 0.09

Order Polydesmida 3 0.36 1.11 0.3 3.00 0.13 0.09
Class Entognatha 1 0.12 0.06 0.0 1.00 0.04 0.01
Order Collembola 1 0.12 0.06 0.0 1.00 0.04 0.01
Class Insecta 725 87.99 314.55 97.7 21
Order Coleoptera 20 2.43 15.05 4.7 11.00 0.48 3.40
Family Bostrichidae 2 0.24 0.19 0.1 1.00 0.04 0.01
Family Chrysomellidae 5 0.61 3.40 1.1 3.00 0.13 0.22
Family Curculionidae 2 0.24 7.59 2.4 2.00 0.09 0.23
Family Scarabaeidae 2 0.24 0.25 0.1 2.00 0.09 0.03
Family Staphylinidae 4 0.49 3.17 1.0 2.00 0.09 0.13
Coleopteran larvae 2 0.24 0.25 0.1 3.00 0.13 0.04
UI coleopterans 3 0.36 0.19 0.1 3.00 0.13 0.06
Order Diptera 8 0.97 3 0.9 6.00 0.26 0.50
Dipteran larvae 6 0.73 1.84 0.6 5.00 0.22 0.28
UI dipterans 2 0.24 1.16 0.4 2.00 0.09 0.05
Order Hemiptera 3 0.36 2.36 0.7 2.00 0.09 0.10
Hemipteran nymphae 1 0.12 0.27 0.1 1.00 0.04 0.01
UI hemipterans 2 0.24 2.09 0.6 1.00 0.04 0.04
Order Hymenoptera (non-Formicidae) 1 0.12 0.06 0.0 1.00 0.04 0.01
Order Hymenoptera (Formicidae) 687 83.37 267.38 83.0 21.00 0.91 151.92
Order Socoptera 4 0.49 6.30 2.0 3.00 0.13 0.32
Class Malacostraca 2 0.24 0.96 0.3 2 0.09 0.05
Order Isopoda 2 0.24 0.96 0.3 2.00 0.09 0.05
PHYLLUM MOLLUSCA 4 0.49 2.62 0.8 4 0.17 0.23
Class Gastropoda 4 0.49 2.62 0.8 4 0.17 0.23
Order Pulmonata 4 0.49 2.62 0.8 4.00 0.17 0.23
UI insects 1 0.12 0.06 0.0 1 0.04 0.01
Totals 824 100 322.11 100 23

Discussion species with a specialist diet, as has also been shown

Taking into account prey types and ratios, as well as for species of the family Dendrobatidae such as:
the trophic niche amplitude index values, we analysed D. auratus (Ba= 0,03), Epidodebates bilinguis and
and found that D. truncatus is an actively foraging Ranitomeya virolynensis both with Ba = 0,04 (Donnelly,
Diet of the yellow striped poison frog, Colombia 1189
Table 3. Diet composition and prey choice of D. truncatus for the family Formicidae: N: number of prey; %N: percentage of
number of prey; % V:Table 3. Diet of
percentage composition
volume ofand prey
prey; % choice of D. truncatus
F: percentage for theoffamily
of frequency each Formicidae: N: number
prey item; IRI: relativeofimportance
prey;
%N: percentage of number of prey; % V: percentage of volume of prey; % F: percentage of frequency of each
index. UI: Unidentificated.
prey item; IRI: relative importance index. UI: Unidentificated.

Prey items Order Hymenoptera N %N V (mm3) %V F %F IRI

Subfamily Cerapachyinae 3 0.4 1.8 0.7 3 0.13 5.59
Genus Acanthostichus 3 0.4 1.8 0.7 3 0.13 0.15
Subfamily Dolichoderinae 3 0.4 0.8 0.3 1 0.04 1.22
UI Dolichoderinae 3 0.4 0.8 0.3 1 0.04 0.03
Subfamily Ecitoninae 1 0.1 1.1 0.4 1 0.04 0.90
Genus Neivamyrmex 1 0.1 1.1 0.4 1 0.04 0.02
Subfamily Formicinae 1 0.1 0.3 0.1 1 0.04 0.40
UI Formicinae 1 0.1 0.3 0.1 1 0.04 0.01
Subfamily Leptanilloidinae 1 0.1 0.1 0.1 1 0.04 0.32
Genus Leptanilloides 1 0.1 0.1 0.0 1 0.04 0.01
Subfamily Myrmicinae 677 98.5 263.8 98.5 52 2.26 3034.48
Genus Acanthognathus 19 2.8 7.6 2.8 8 0.35 1.95
Genus Adelomyrmex 35 5.1 15.6 5.8 2 0.09 0.95
Genus Atta 1 0.1 0.0 0.0 1 0.04 0.01
Genus Cephalotes 7 1.0 1.8 0.7 3 0.13 0.22
Genus Crematogaster 85 12.4 96.3 35.9 6 0.26 12.60
Genus Hylomyrma 7 1.0 0.6 0.2 1 0.04 0.05
Genus Leptothorax 74 10.8 24.2 9.0 4 0.17 3.44
Genus Pogonomyrmex 1 0.1 0.5 0.2 1 0.04 0.01
Genus Rogeria 2 0.3 2.5 0.9 1 0.04 0.05
Genus Solepnosis 397 57.8 93.2 34.8 14 0.61 56.35
Genus Stegomyrmex 36 5.2 14.1 5.3 5 0.22 2.28
UI Myrmicinae 13 1.9 6.9 2.6 6 0.26 1.16
Subfamily Ponerinae 1 0.1 0.1 0.0 1 0.04 0.28
Genus Prionopelta 1 0.1 0.1 0.0 1 0.04 0.01
Total 687 100 267.9 100 23

1991; Biavati et al., 2004; Gómez-Hoyos et al., 2014; In general, ant-specialist frogs have small bodies
Herrera-Lopera et al., 2016). The diet of D. truncatus and thin mandibles, they actively forage in order to
is composed mainly of ants and mites, which are an feed, and a great number of prey can be found in their
abundant resource in the Neotropics, are mostly found stomachs (Toft, 1980, 1981). In this study, D. truncatus
in leaf litter and form big colonies, so it is easy to catch individuals displayed an average body size of 25.6 mm,
many individuals (Toft, 1981; Davidson et al., 2003; a mandibular width of 7.4 mm, and an average of 63
Fernández, 2003). Several studies have also shown that prey items in their stomach contents. The intake of
the high intake of this type of prey explains the origin of different types of prey is common among dendrobatids
the alkaloids sequestered in the skin of poisonous frogs that specialize on ants (Simon and toft, 1991; Biavati et
(Daly et al., 1999; Saporito et al., 2009). Unlike other al., 2004; Gómez-Hoyos et al., 2014). This could be due
anurans, the diet specialization of D. truncatus enables to natural changes that occur in prey populations, or to
it to find its food resource even in disturbed areas (pers. the need for a nutritional balance (Donelly, 1991; Clark
obs.), allowing these species to be found in open forests, 1982). Overall, we found 11 orders of arthropods in the
since ants and mites are highly abundant even at these diet of D. truncatus, and some of these represented over
sites (Fernández, 2003; Fernandez and Sendoya, 2004). 10% in abundance. Mites were an important prey item
1190 Mateo Marín-Martínez� et al.

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