Chester Zoo 

Poison-Dart Frog

There are 175 known species of poison dart frog, many with brightly coloured and patterned skin which acts as a warning sign and a deterrent to predators. Their colours vary from deep reds, to magentas, blue, yellow and bright greens. Such is the variety of colours that it can vary from individual to individual within a species, which has led to some confusion when categorising these amphibians in the past. Despite their wide colour range, however, they can be difficult to detect, as some are no larger than a human thumbnail and easily merge into their background habitat. The backs of males usually slope down, while females are slightly rounder. In some sub-species the female’s toes are narrower than those of the male, which are wide at the ends.

What they eat

In the zoo: fruit flies, pinhead crickets, rice flour beetle larvae, springtails.  In the wild: a diverse variety of small invertebrate prey. With many species, their wild diet is what enables them to make their powerful skin toxins.

How long they live

Unknown in the wild, but up to 12 years in captivity.

Biology

Much research still needs to be done on the behaviour of poison dart frogs in the wild, but in captivity most sub-species thrive in humid environments, where the temperature remains fairly constant. They are most active in the day and reach maturity at between 18 and 30 months of age.

Some species are highly poisonous and secrete toxins from tiny pores in their skin as a defence against predators.

In most species it is the male that cares for the eggs and tadpoles. On hatching, the tadpoles crawl onto his back and he will carry them to a water body where they will grow and develop into baby frogs.

Did you know?

The Golden Poison Dart Frog Phyllobates terribilis is generally acknowledged as the most toxic land animal on the planet. 1 gram of refined toxin from its skin would be enough to kill 2 million people!