10 Fun Facts About Poison Dart Frogs
- Frogs Poison Dart Frogs
Jade Messieh- 0
- 7 minutes read
Are dart frogs really poisonous?
Poison dart frogs come in a variety of beautiful colors that show predators that they are poisonous. This amphibian thrives in cool, humid forests on the forest ground. Dart frogs have become a very popular display animal throughout the U.S.
Fact #1
Poison dart frogs only grow to be about 1 inch in size. This means that they are extremely small and can sometimes be hard to find. They can hide under leaves very easily away from predators.
Fact #2
Indigenous people would use the frog’s poison for darts and arrows, giving this frog its name. Dart frogs can secrete toxins from their skin that can take out their predators.
The bright colors are a warning for predators that they are poisonous. These frogs can also have enough poison to kill a large sum of animals.
Fact #3
Dart frogs that have been captive bred are not toxic. The reason why they are not toxic is because of their diet. Captive bred dart frogs eat fruit flies that are store bought.
In the wild, dart frogs eat termites, ants, crickets, and beetles. These insects are suspected to lead to the dart frog’s toxicity.
Fact #4
Poison dart frogs are originated in the rain forests of South and Central America.
Fact #5
Poison dart frogs come in a different variety of colors. They can be different shades of yellow, red, green, and blue. There are even dart frogs that can be tricolored.
Fact #6
Male dart frogs are exceptional parents. They take amazing care of their clutch and will carry the eggs on their backs from one place to the other.
Fact #7
Over 100 different species of this frog has been discovered. Not all of them are toxic to people. Dendrobates and Phyllobates are two different species that carry a large number of toxins from their skin secretions.
Fact #8
When toxins don’t work to keep predators away, some species of dart frogs can actually secrete mucus that has a foul odor. It is very sticky and the smell is strong like a skunk smell.
Fact #9
Poison dart frogs are diurnal, which means that they are most active during the day.
Fact #10
In the wild, dart frogs can live on an average of 3 to 15 years. In captivity, they can live up to 10 to 20 years.
Wrapping up
Poison dart frogs are amazing amphibians that we are still learning more about today. Their large range of colors makes them beautiful, but deadly in the wild. Luckily, captive bred frogs are not poisonous, which makes them safe to have as pets!
