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REPTILES AND BIRDS
Brazilian

Dart-poison

Frog

Ranitomeya vanzolinii

Arrival: March 2021, donation from the Bronx Zoo
in New York
Native habitat: Peru and Brazil; tropical rain forests

One of the Facts: Dart-poison frogs are known for their beautiful and
brilliantly colored bodies and toxic venom. Indigenous people
only frog hunting—hence their name. However, the venom of this tiny
have used their venom on the tips of blowgun darts when
species
black-and-yellow-spotted frog is not very toxic. They are one
of the only species of frogs known to pair bond in the wild.
known to A breeding pair is monogamous and the male plays a large role
Pair Bond in rearing the young. A female lays one or several eggs in water
at the bottom of a tree hole. If two eggs hatch, the male will
carry one of the tadpoles on his back to a second empty tree
hole. This prevents the tadpoles from eating each other.
The jumbo
jet of THE SWAMP
Flying
Western Hercules Beetle

Insects
Dynastes hercules

Arrival: September 2021, a confiscation by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Native habitat: Southern tip of Mexico, Central America, northern South America, some Caribbean Islands;
tropical rain forests
Facts: This beetle is one of the world’s largest and heaviest flying insects—males of this species can grow up to 7 inches
in length! The beetle is named after the Greco-Roman demigod of the same name who was mythologized for his enormous
strength. The male Hercules beetle has a large, fierce-looking claw, or pincers. During breeding season, they use their pincers
to grab their rivals and lift them off the ground; they can lift objects that weigh hundreds of times their own weight.
When they are disturbed, they make a huffing sound. Unfortunately, large scarab beetles like the Hercules are popular
in the illegal pet trade. Their upper bodies are hard and shiny and can change color with humidity.

BROOKFIELD ZOO | SPRING 2022 31