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Animal Information Natural Treasures

Amphibians & Invertebrates

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

Green and Black Poison Frog 2 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. Green and Black Poison Frog 3 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

Sambava Tomato Frog 4 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. Conservation Concerns  Habitat loss, deforestation, intensified agriculture, and urbanization. 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 . Rainforest Alliance

Smoky Jungle Frog 5 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. Conservation Concerns  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

Blue-legged Mantella 6 Mantella expectata

John Ball Zoo Habitat – Located in the Natural Treasures building with Green Mantellas and Golden Mantellas. Individual Animals: 5 Life Expectancy  Data deficient Statistics  Length – 1 inch Diet – Insectivore  Termites, fruit flies, and arthropods. Predators  Toxic skin prevents predation. 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. Conservation Concerns  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 o Rainforest Alliance and Forest Stewardship Council

Green Mantella 7

Mantella viridis John Ball Zoo Habitat – Located in the Natural Treasures building with Golden Mantellas and Blue-legged Mantellas. Individual Animals: 8 Life Expectancy  Wild: data deficient Statistics  Length – 1.2 inches Diet – Insectivore  Termites, fruit flies, and arthropods. Predators  Toxic skin prevents predation. 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. Conservation Concerns  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 o When you make purchases, support green companies/eco-labels o Rainforest Alliance and Forest Stewardship Council

Golden Mantella 8 Mantella aurantiaca John Ball Zoo Habitat – Located in the Natural Treasures building with Green Mantellas and Blue-legged Mantellas.

Individual Animals: 13  Some individuals are kept behind the scenes.

Life Expectancy  Wild: up to 8 years  Under Managed Care: up to 8 years Statistics  Length – 1.25 inches  Females tend to be larger. Diet – Insectivore  Termites, fruit flies, and arthropods. Predators  Toxic skin prevents predation. 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.

9 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.

Conservation Concerns  Habitat loss due to threats from subsistence agriculture, timber extraction, fires, and expanding human settlements.

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

Magnificent Tree Frog 10 Litoria splendida

John Ball Zoo Habitat – Located in the Natural Treasures building. Individual Animals: 10 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  Support Global and Local Conservation Programs o Participate in local conservation and citizen science efforts (habitats, species) . Join Frogwatch Gray Tree Frog 11 Hyla versicolor John Ball Zoo Habitat – Located in the Small Jewel Exhibit in the Natural Treasures building. Individual Animals: 5 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  Support Global and Local Conservation Programs o Participate in local conservation and citizen science efforts (habitats, species)

Marbled Salamander 12 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  Wild: Data deficient  Under Managed Care: 3-4 years Statistics  Length – 3.5-4.2 inches  Females tend to be larger. 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.

Marbled Salamander 13 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. Conservation Concerns  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  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

Eastern Tiger Salamander 14 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  Wild: Data deficient  Under Managed Care: Can reach up to 20 years. Statistics – Largest land dwelling salamander in North America  Length – 13.5 inches 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. Eastern Tiger Salamander 15

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.

Conservation Concerns  Deforestation and loss of wetland habitats for agriculture

Conservation Ask  Be thoughtful while engaging and connecting with Nature o Participate in nature friendly behavior  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