Poison Dart Frog

Quick Take

• The golden poison dart frog carries enough toxin to kill a staggering number of animals, yet zoo frogs are completely harmless. The difference comes down to one unexpected variable. Zoo frogs explained →
• These frogs don't hide from predators at all, and that bold strategy actually works in a fascinating way. See their bold behavior →
• Their poison has a surprising second life outside the jungle, and it could directly benefit human health. Discover the toxin source →
• A group of poison dart frogs has a name that perfectly matches their nature, though it's not what most people would guess. Find their group name →

Poison dart frogs are a tiny species of frog that live in Central and South America. One of their main adaptations to keep them safe from predators is their brightly colored skin, which ranges from yellow to bright blue or red. This skin warns predators looking to add them to their diet that these tiny frogs are extremely toxic if ingested.

5 Incredible Poison Dart Frog Facts

• A group of poison dart frogs is known as an “army.”
• One of this frog’s adaptations is its brightly colored body, from blue to red and black to golden yellow.
• Poison dart frogs are sometimes known as “poison arrow frogs.”
• The golden poison dart frog, the most toxic of all frog species, has enough toxin in its body to kill over 20,000 mice.
• Some varieties of these frogs’ poison show promise in the medical field, including one that has been synthetically adapted to be a painkiller for humans.

Evolution

it is believed that poison dart frogs first began to express their trademark coloration and traits and evolve from their non-poisonous relatives sometime between 20 and 40 million years ago. In addition to developing a powerful toxicity and their striking warning colors, these amphibians also had to acquire resistance to their own poison in order to survive, an evolutionary hurdle that all poisonous creatures must overcome. Poison dart frogs achieved this through a series of genetic changes, including key mutations in the amino acids that make up their sodium channels.

The vast array of species and genera, all displaying their own unique color variants, indicates a high level of genetic diversity in these amphibians, with scientists believing some new species first emerged as recently as 6,000 years ago.

Classification and Scientific Name

These frogs belong to a wide array of genera and species, with many different scientific names. There are over 175 known species. However, all belong to the family Dendrobatidae. This scientific name is formed from the Greek word for tree, dendro, which is also used in the word dendrology, the study of trees. Batēs is the Greek word meaning “one that treads.” Therefore, the family name Dendrobatidae means “one that treads in trees,” or simply “tree climber.”

Appearance

One of the adaptations these frogs are famous for is their brightly colored skin. This skin serves as a warning to predators about their extremely toxic secretions. The term for bright coloration used to warn predators of toxicity is “aposematic coloration.”

The different species come in a rainbow of colors, including blue, yellow, red, green, golden, and black. The strawberry poison dart frog is one of the species’ most poisonous members and has a bright red body with blue legs. The golden poison dart frog is also especially dangerous and has enough toxins to kill over 20,000 mice. It is also the largest of the poison dart frog species.

However, the fact is that not all members of the poison dart frog family are poisonous or brightly colored. Some humble species come in shades of tan and brown, and these species are usually not toxic to most animals.

These frogs tend to be small, with most species reaching less than 0.6 inches in adult length, though some can grow up to around 2.4 inches. Like most frog species, their skin is smooth and damp, and they have webbed toes.

Behavior

These frogs like to live in the trees closest to the ground or in the leaf litter of the jungle floor. They prefer resting on leaves and tree branches.

These frogs croak and squeak like other frog species, using these calls to establish their habitats and attract mates. They are mostly diurnal creatures, which means they are active during the day.

These frogs make little attempt to hide from predators, as their skin is warning enough. If their toxins don’t kill a predator, they will at least make them very unappetizing. Predators will remember the unpleasant taste of this frog and will likely not attempt to eat another one again.

Habitat

These frogs are native to the damp rainforests of Central and South America. They can sometimes be confused with another small, brightly colored frog species called the Mantella, but Mantellas are only found in Madagascar.

These frogs have also been introduced to Hawaii. They used to be imported to the US in great numbers for the pet trade, but this has since slowed down. In Europe, some species of frogs are smuggled into the country.

Because of their sensitivity to the environment, these frogs do not do well in heavily polluted areas.

Diet

These frogs use their long, sticky tongue to capture insects. This diet makes them carnivores. Their diet consists of termites, flies, ants, and many other species of insects, which are plentiful in the habitat where poison dart frogs live.

Tadpoles can be omnivorous and sometimes eat algae. They are also sometimes fed unfertilized eggs from their parents. Some species of frogs are even cannibals and eat the tadpoles of other species.

The diet of the poison dart frog is thought to be responsible for its toxicity. Scientists are unsure which of the insects the frogs eat make them toxic. However, frogs raised in captivity and fed crickets and fruit flies do not release toxins from their skin.

Predators and Threats

Because the toxins in their skin make them unpleasant or even toxic for most animals to eat, poison dart frogs do not have a wide array of natural predators. There is a species of snake, Leimadophis epinephelus, that is immune to the venom of the poison dart frog.

Frog species, including the poison dart frog, sometimes fall victim to the chytrid fungus. This disease is a type of infectious fungus that causes lethargy, weight loss, and eventually death. It is highly contagious and threatens over 500 different amphibian species, contributing to the extinction of at least 90 species in recent decades.

Many species of poison dart frog are listed as endangered or critically endangered due to habitat loss and pollution. Large swathes of rainforest are often burned to make room for farmland as well as deforested for lumber. Some species are also captured and exported for the pet trade.

Reproduction, Babies, and Lifespan

Poison dart frogs breed multiple times throughout the year, often in conjunction with periods of rainfall. Both males and females are combative during this time — males compete for ideal perches from which to call for mates, and females compete for nesting areas. Females are sometimes known to devour the eggs of other frogs.

The mating process occurs once the male has performed his mating call and located a female to breed with. The male lures the female to a preferred mating site using an elaborate courtship ceremony. This courtship consists of wrestling, stroking, and leading the female around. The ceremony can last many hours before the two decide to settle, and the female can lay her eggs.

Females will deposit their eggs in the moist leaf litter. The number of eggs varies from 1 egg to 40 eggs, with the average being about ten eggs per clutch. The male will then fertilize the eggs once the female has laid them. Both parents guard the eggs, ensuring they do not dry out.

Once the young tadpoles hatch, about 10 to 18 days after the eggs have been fertilized, the parents will carry the tadpoles on their backs. When the parent frog sits among the cluster of young tadpoles, the tadpoles squirm their way onto the parent’s back. The parents carry their young, either all at once or a few at a time, to small pools where they can grow and mature. Tadpoles will grow into adult frogs after many months. In this young form, they are exceptionally vulnerable to predators.

The lifespan of the poison dart frog is not well-researched. In the wild, some scientists say they live as few as three years. In captivity, it is reported that some species can live to be up to 25 years old.

Population

Poison dart frogs, like many other species native to the rainforests of South America, are in population decline. Some species are endangered or critically endangered due to habitat loss, climate change, and fungal disease. Because of the number of species as well as their remote location, it is not possible to get accurate measurements of population data.

Poison Dart Frogs In the Zoo

These frogs are a popular attraction in zoos and aquariums worldwide. The San Diego Zoo and the Smithsonian both have captive poison dart frogs, as well as Reid Park Zoo and the Seneca Park Zoo.

In zoos, these frogs are fed insects that do not cause them to develop toxins in their skin. They are fed these non-toxic insects because they frequently need to be handled by zookeepers and veterinarians while in captivity.