Ranitomeya Imitator Varadero For Sale

Ranitomeya imitator (formerly Dendrobates imitator), is a species of poison dart frog found in the north-central region of eastern Peru.

This frog has been found in primary and old-growth secondary rainforests between 200 and 1200 meters above sea level. This frog is diurnal, with two periods of activity, one early in the day and one later.

The male frogs are territorial, and will attack other males that enter their range. Generally, the frog chooses one good plant to retreat to and works from there. Mated pairs have closely overlapping ranges.

These frogs eat ants, mites, and other invertebrates, such as flies, beetles, and springtails.

While populations of different color morphs are concentrated in different areas of Peru, there are transition zones between populations where different color morphs may interact.

 These transition zones have been particular areas of interest to study reproductive isolation and incipient speciation, and recent research suggests that color pattern is likely a driving factor in reproductive isolation, as some transition zones show evidence of assortative mating, where individuals of one morph prefer to mate with others of the same morph.

The reproductive and parental care behaviors exhibited by this species have been of great interest to a variety of researchers, namely because R. imitator is the first amphibian to show evidence of monogamy, and because it independently evolved biparental care.

Further, the occurrence of both of these factors supports the hypothesis that biparental care favors the evolution of monogamy, for which evidence has previously been restricted to other groups of vertebrates. The parental care provided to R. imitator offspring has been demonstrated to be vital for offspring growth and success.