Animal Information Natural Treasures Amphibians ......4 Sambava Tomato Frog Dyscophus guineti John Ball Zoo Habitat – Located in the Natural Treasures building. Individual Animals:

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Table of Contents

Frogs

Green and Black Poison Dart Frog…………………………………………………..2

Sambavo Tomato Frog…………………………………………………………………...4

Smoky Jungle Frog………………………………………………………….………………5

Blue-legged Mantella………………………………………………….………………….6

Green Mantella……………………………………………………………………………...7

Golden Mantella……………………………….……………………………………………8

Magnificent Tree Frog……………………………………………………………………10

Grey Tree Frog………………………………….……………………………………………11

Salamanders

Marbled Salamander……………………………………………………………………..12

Eastern Tiger Salamander………………………………………………………………14

Invertebrates

Animal Information

Natural Treasures

Amphibians & Invertebrates

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Green and Black Poison Frog

Dendrobates auratus

John Ball Zoo Habitat – Located in the Natural Treasures building and the Frogs building.

Individual Animals: 14

Life Expectancy

Wild: Unknown

Under Managed Care: 8 years

Statistics

Length – 1.5 inches

Diet

Small invertebrates, mainly ants that have high

quantities of alkaloids in their tissues. The frogs can sequester those alkaloids in their

skin, which is what makes them poisonous.

Predators

Toxic skin prevents predation.

Habitat

Floor of rain forests, near small streams or pools.

Region

Central and South America, from Nicaragua and Costa Rica to southeastern Brazil and

Bolivia.

o They were introduced in Hawaii by humans,

and have flourished there.

Reproduction

Males fight among themselves to establish

territories, which are then fixed for the remainder of

the mating season.

The male attracts a female with vocalizations

consisting of trilling sounds.

The female lays up to six eggs in a small pool of water.

o The eggs are encased in a gelatinous substance for protection.

During the two week development period, the male returns to the eggs periodically to

check on them.

Once the tadpoles hatch, they climb onto the males

back and he carries them to a place suitable for

further development, such as a lake or a stream. For

the duration of this trip, the tadpoles are attached

to the males back by a mucus secretion, which is

soluble only in water so that there is no chance of

them accidentally falling off. Once they are at their

final destination, the tadpoles are on their own.

They take an additional six weeks to develop into

adult frogs.

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Green and Black Poison Frog

Dendrobates auratus

Behavior – Diurnal

Males use vocalizations to attract females for mating and advertise territories.

Adaptations

Poison glands located throughout the surface of their body.

Sticky, retractable tongues as well as their excellent eyesight help capture their prey.

Conservation Concerns

Habitat loss

Deforestation

Collection for the pet trade

Conservation Ask

Be mindful of wildlife and the environment as you make every day purchasing decisions

o When you make purchases, support green companies/eco-labels

o Rainforest Alliance and Forest Stewardship Council

4

Sambava Tomato Frog

Dyscophus guineti

John Ball Zoo Habitat – Located in the Natural Treasures building.

Individual Animals: 3 of undetermined gender

Arrived on November 16, 2018

Life Expectancy – 6-10 years

Statistics

Males tend to be yellowish; Females reddish-orange.

Length – Males: 2.5 inches; Females: 3.5 inches

Diet – Crickets, worms, and spiders.

Predators – No known natural predators

Habitat

Rainforests, swamp forests, streams, and almost stagnant side-ponds.

Region

This species occurs widely along the eastern

rainforest belt of Madagascar. It is a very secretive

species and probably occurs at many more

localities than records indicate.

Reproduction

Breeding can occur every other year.

Deposit between 1,000 and 1,500 eggs.

Behavior – Nocturnal

Burrows in moss, leaf litter and soft soil.

Adaptations

When threatened, these frogs can inflate

themselves, giving the appearance of greater size.

This frog will secrete a thick white substance that contains toxins and irritants to keep

potential predators at bay.


Habitat loss, deforestation, intensified agriculture, and urbanization.

Conservation Ask



Rainforest Alliance

5

Smoky Jungle Frog Leptodactylus pentadactylus

John Ball Zoo Habitat – Located in the Natural Treasures building in a mixed species habitat

with a Brazilian Rainbow Boa and an Amazon Tree Boa

Individual Animals: 2 Males, 2 Females

Group arrived September 18, 2014

Life Expectancy – up to 15 years

Statistics

Length – up to 7 inches

Females tend to be larger.

Diet

Small birds, snakes, and other frogs.

Predators

Coatimundis, Caiman, and Snakes

Habitat

Wetlands, Forest, Aquatic, and Marine

Region

This species is widely distributed in the Amazon forest. It ranges from southern

Colombia, eastern Ecuador and eastern Peru in the west of its range, into northern

Bolivia, much of central and parts of norther

Brazil, with records from French Guiana.

Reproduction

Mating occurs from May through November

Behavior – Nocturnal

Opportunistic feeder, consuming anything they

can swallow.

Adaptations

Secrets mucus making them toxic to predators.


There are no threats to this species

Conservation Ask

Support Global and Local Conservation Programs

o Participate in local conservation and

citizen science efforts (habitats, species)

Join Frogwatch

6

Blue-legged Mantella

Mantella expectata

John Ball Zoo Habitat – Located in the Natural Treasures building with Green Mantellas and

Golden Mantellas.


Life Expectancy

Data deficient

Statistics

Length – 1 inch

Diet – Insectivore

Termites, fruit flies, and arthropods.

Predators


Habitat

Wetlands, forest.

Region

Southwestern Madagascar.

Reproduction

Females lay 2-6 clutches of over 35 eggs.

Behavior

Active during the first few hours after dawn.

Adaptations

Blue-legged mantellas have toxic skin secretions,

protecting them from predators.


Habitat loss due to grazing and, in some localized

regions, due to sapphire mining which is also a

high risk for extending into protected areas in the

vicinity.

Conservation Ask

Be mindful of wildlife and the environment as you

make every day purchasing decisions

o When you make purchases, support green

companies/eco-labels


7

Green Mantella

Mantella viridis

John Ball Zoo Habitat – Located in the Natural Treasures building with Golden Mantellas and

Blue-legged Mantellas.


Life Expectancy

Wild: data deficient

Statistics




Predators


Habitat

Found near temporary brooks and streams, also

forests.

Region

Northern Madagascar.

Reproduction

Clutches consist of 15 to 60 eggs.

Behavior

Diurnal

Adaptations

Green mantellas have toxic skin secretions,

protecting them from predators.


Habitat loss due to the impacts of fires, selective

logging and the collection of firewood, and livestock

grazing.

Conservation Ask

Be mindful of wildlife and the environment as you

make every day purchasing decisions



8

Golden Mantella

Mantella aurantiaca

John Ball Zoo Habitat – Located in the Natural Treasures building with Green Mantellas and

Blue-legged Mantellas.


Some individuals are kept behind the scenes.

Life Expectancy

Wild: up to 8 years

Under Managed Care: up to 8 years

Statistics





Predators


Habitat

Swamps and mossy or grassy mounds of forest

debris.

Region

Isolated patches ranging throughout

southeastern Madagascar.

Reproduction

Sexual maturity is reached in 12 to 14 months.

Clutches consist of 12 to 30 eggs.

Tadpoles emerge from eggs after 2-6 days.

Tadpoles typically metamorphose into froglets 6

to 8 weeks after hatching.

Once the eggs are laid, parent golden mantellas have no further involvement in the

development of their young.

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Golden Mantella

Mantella aurantiaca

Behavior – Diurnal

Golden mantellas use auditory cues, and may also use visual or chemical cues to

communicate.

Adaptations

Golden mantellas have toxic skin secretions, protecting them from predators.


Habitat loss due to threats from subsistence agriculture, timber extraction, fires, and

expanding human settlements.

Conservation Ask




10

Magnificent Tree Frog Litoria splendida

John Ball Zoo Habitat – Located in the Natural Treasures building.


Life Expectancy – Data deficient

Statistics – Length – 3.9 inches

Diet – Insects of all kinds, earthworms, and spiders.

Predators – Snakes and lizards

Habitat – Forests and wetlands.

Region

From the Kimberley Region, Western

Australia, and northwestern Northern

Territory to Bradshaw Station.

Reproduction

Males produce the substance Spendipherin

which is a pheromone they release into the

surrounding water to attract females.

Breeding takes place early in the wet

season at the onset of monsoon rains

(December and January).

A female lays on average 1000 eggs in

floating clumps that form a single layer

on the surface of the water.

Tadpoles take 1-4 months to develop.

Adaptations

Possess vomerine teeth, small

projections in the top of a frog's

mouth, which function in holding

captured prey.

Bulbous gland on the dorsal side of the head is a poison gland, the biggest of any

amphibian in Australia. The poison doesn’t affect humans, but it does deter birds from

eating the frog.

Conservation Concerns – There are no known threats to this species.

Conservation Ask


o Participate in local conservation and citizen science efforts (habitats, species)

Join Frogwatch

11

Gray Tree Frog Hyla versicolor

John Ball Zoo Habitat – Located in the Small Jewel Exhibit in the Natural Treasures building.


Life Expectancy

Wild: Data deficient

Can live up to 7 years under managed care

Statistics – Length – 1.25-2 inches

Diet – Insects including mites, spiders, plant lice,

harvestmen, and snails.

Predators – Birds, snakes, other frogs, and small mammals.

Habitat – Wooded areas near temporary and permanent

waters like swamps, ponds, and lakes.

Region – From southern Ontario and Maine, westward to

central Texas, and northwest to Manitoba.

Reproduction

Female choice dominates the mating scheme of

gray tree frogs.

Eggs are fertilized externally.

Tadpoles hatch in 3-7 days and metamorphosize

into froglets in 6-8 weeks.

Behavior – Arboreal

Most active in the evening.

Hibernation ends in the early months of spring.

Opportunistic cannibals: may eat other gray tree

frogs if they are small enough to catch and swallow.

Adaptations

Large toepads produce mucous to adhere to smooth bark.

Their skin is able to assume most natural colors in which it comes into contact.

Produces glycerol during periods of cold weather, which allows an individual to ‘freeze’

itself, while maintaining interior metabolic processes at a very slow rate.

Conservation Concerns – There are no major threats to this species.

Conservation Ask


o Participate in local conservation and citizen science efforts (habitats, species)

12

Marbled Salamander

Ambystoma opacum

John Ball Zoo Habitat – Located in the Small Jewel habitat of the Michigan Wall in the Natural

Treasures building.

Individual Animals: 1 Undetermined Gender

Estimated hatch: March 2015

o Unknown location

Arrived: March 31, 2015

o Public donor

Life Expectancy


Under Managed Care: 3-4 years

Statistics

Length – 3.5-4.2 inches


Diet – Carnivore

Small worms, insects, slugs, snails, crustaceans, and the larvae of amphibians.

Predators

Snakes, owls, raccoons, skunks, shrews, weasels.

Habitat

Damp woodlands, often close to ponds or streams. Sometimes dry hillsides.

Region

Eastern United States, from Massachusetts west to central Illinois, southeastern

Missouri and Oklahoma and eastern Texas, south to the Gulf of Mexico and the Carolina

coast. Disjoint

populations are

found in eastern

Missouri, central

Illinois, in northwest

Ohio/northeast

Indiana, and along

the southern edges of

Lake Michigan and

Lake Erie.

13

Marbled Salamander

Ambystoma opacum

Reproduction

Breeding occurs in fall, and entirely on land.

Sexual maturity is reached in 17 to 26 months.

Clutches consist of 50-100 eggs.

As soon as the autumn rains come the eggs will

hatch in the depression they were originally laid

in. If rain never comes the eggs will remain

dormant through the winter if temperatures do

not fall too low, then hatch the following spring.

Tadpoles emerge from eggs after 2-6 days.

Tadpole metamorphosis occurs 2-9 months

after hatching (depending on temperature).

Behavior – Solitary

Will defend burrows they inhabit against others

of the same species.

Occasionally, adults will share burrows with

each other.

Adaptations

Poison glands located on the tail provide a degree of protection.


This species is listed as threatened by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

Intensive timber harvesting practices that reduce canopy closure, understory

vegetation, uncompacted forest litter, or coarse woody debris.

Conservation Ask




14

Eastern Tiger Salamander

Ambystoma tigrinum tigrinum

John Ball Zoo Habitat – Located in the Upper Red Barn.

Individual Animals: 1 Male - Tigger

Estimated hatch: April 2013

o Unknown location

Arrived: April 22, 2013

o Public donor

Life Expectancy


Under Managed Care: Can reach up

to 20 years.

Statistics – Largest land dwelling salamander in North America


Diet – Carnivore

Worms, snails, insects, and slugs

Predators

Badgers, bobcats, snakes, and owls.

o Larva are eaten by insects, salamander, and snakes.

Habitat

Forests, grasslands, or marshy areas.

Region

Southeastern Alaska east to the southern part of Labrador, and south throughout all of

the United States down to the southern edge of the Mexican Plateau

Reproduction

Migrates to the breeding

ponds in late winter or early

spring, usually after a warm

rain that thaws out the

ground's surface.

Courtship happens during

the night where the males

nudge and bump other

salamanders.

Laying of eggs occurs a night,

usually 24-48 hours after the

courtship and insemination.

Eggs are laid and attached to

twigs, grass stems, and

leaves that have decayed on

the bottom floor of the pond

Each female produces from 100 to 1000 eggs per season.

15

Eastern Tiger Salamander

Ambystoma tigrinum tigrinum

Behavior – Solitary, nocturnal

Tiger Salamanders live underground for most of the

year and usually dig their own burrows, unlike other

species that use burrows of other animals. They have

been found 2 feet below the surface. This allows

them to escape the temperature extremes on the

surface and may explain why they have such a wide

array of habitat types.

Adaptations

Poison glands located on the tail provide a degree of

protection.


Deforestation and loss of wetland habitats for

agriculture

Conservation Ask

Be thoughtful while engaging and connecting with Nature

o Participate in nature friendly behavior




Documents

Animal Information Natural Treasures Amphibians ......4 Sambava Tomato Frog Dyscophus guineti John Ball Zoo Habitat – Located in the Natural Treasures building. Individual Animals: