The Phantasmal Poison Frog (Epipedobates tricolor) is an endangered amphibian in the Dendrobatidae family of Poison Dart Frogs. 

The Phantasmal Poison Frog begins its life as an egg. The adult female frog is oviparous, laying eggs. The female lays 10-30 eggs, which hatch after about 14 days. The male cares for the eggs. 

The eggs hatch into tadpoles, and the male carries them on his back and takes them to a river or stream. 

It is a tadpole for about 10 weeks before undergoing metamorphosis to change into an adult frog. The tadpole has gills to breathe under water. It does not have legs but it has a tail. 

The tadpole grows legs and lungs, and loses its tail. It developes lungs to breathe air.

The adult Phantasmal Poison Frog has smooth, dark-red to red-brown skin with three yellow-white side stripes from its head to its tail. It has white spots on its hind (back) legs. It has large dark eyes. It has webbed feet with one digit (toe) longer than the others. 

It grows to 3 centimetres (1 inch) in length. 

The Phantasmal Poison Frog is native to Ecuador in South America. It prefers wetlands tropical forests. It lives on the ground in leaf litter, near streams and rivers. 

It is diurnal, active during the day. It eats small insects, such as ants and termites, as well as arachnids, such as spiders. 

The Paris Zoo has a breeding program to conserve and preserve the Phantasmal Poison Frog.

Location of photographs: Paris Zoo, France

Photographer: Martina Nicolls

Martina Nicolls: SIMILAR BUT DIFFERENT IN THE ANIMAL KINGDOM