biology

Splendid poison frog

Splendid poison frog is a biology topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Splendid poison frog rather than just read about it. In short: The splendid poison frog (Oophaga speciosa) is an extinct species of poison dart frog that was endemic to the eastern end of Cordillera de Talamanca, western Panama. Its natural habitats were humid lowland and montane forests.

Key takeaways

Splendid poison frog belongs to biology; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Splendid poison frog to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Splendid poison frog from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The splendid poison frog (Oophaga speciosa) is an extinct species of poison dart frog that was endemic to the eastern end of Cordillera de Talamanca, western Panama. Its natural habitats were humid lowland and montane forests.

Appearance Male and female adult frogs measured 28–31 mm in snout-vent length. This frog was bright red in color.

Habitat This frog inhabited in cloud forests in the western Panama's Cordillera de Talamanca. It was diurnal and terrestrial. This frog was observed between 1140 and 1410 meters above sea level.

Life cycle The male frogs fought each other for good foraging and egg deposition sites. The female frog cared for the eggs and tadpoles. She laid eggs on leaf litter. After they hatched, she carried the tadpoles to small pools of water that collect in plant leaves other parts. The female frog laid unfertilized eggs for the tadpoles to eat.

Extinction The species was formerly common in its small range, but is now classified as extinct. Scientists cite the amphibian chytrid fungus that spread through in the region in 1996, a few years after the last recorded sighting of the splendid poison frog in 1992. Despite several comprehensive surveys in its range in subsequent decades, the species (which was easily visible and diurnal) has not been relocated and it was officially declared extinct in 2020. Because so many frogs were harvested for the international pet trade, scientists believe it may be possible that some remain alive in captivity.

References

External links Data related to Oophaga speciosa at Wikispecies

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Splendid poison frog

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Splendid poison frog claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In biology, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Splendid poison frog before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Splendid poison frog ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Splendid poison frog

In research: Splendid poison frog appears in biology research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Splendid poison frog in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Splendid poison frog is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Amphibian extinctions since 1500, Amphibians described in 1857, Amphibians of Panama, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Splendid poison frog outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Splendid poison frog in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Splendid poison frog means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Splendid poison frog out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Splendid poison frog in simple terms?

Why does Splendid poison frog matter?

Because it connects several biology ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Splendid poison frog?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Splendid poison frog.