Wildlife
Poison dart frogs are so named because their poisonous secretions have been used by Amerindian tribes to poison blow darts for hunting. Only three species are dangerous to humans. One of those - the golden poison frog - is considered the most toxic vertebrate on Earth. The beautifully bright colours and patterns of these frogs are a warning to potential predators that they don't make good eating. There could be over 175 species in this family of amphibians, all found in the rainforests of Central and South America. Many species of poison dart frogs are classified as critically endangered.
Did you know?
The golden poison frog is considered the most toxic vertebrate on Earth.
Scientific name: Dendrobatidae
Rank: Family
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Canopy plants
Epiphytes form microcosms in the forest canopy.
Epiphytes form microcosms in the forest canopy.
Tiny but deadly
Dart frogs might be small, but they're some of the planet's most poisionous animals.
Dart frogs might be small, but they're some of the planet's most poisionous animals. The golden poison frog is the most toxic species of frog and most probably the most poisonous vertebrate on Earth. Recent studies have shown this small frog may obtain its poison by eating a small beetle from the family Melyridae.
The Poison dart frogs can be found in a number of locations including: Amazon Rainforest, South America. Find out more about these places and what else lives there.
The following habitats are found across the Poison dart frogs distribution range. Find out more about these environments, what it takes to live there and what else inhabits them.
RainforestDiscover what these behaviours are and how different plants and animals use them.
Additional data source: Animal Diversity Web
Poison dart frog (also dart-poison frog, poison frog or formerly poison arrow frog) is the common name of a group of frogs in the family Dendrobatidae which are native to Central and South America. These species are diurnal and often have brightly colored bodies. Although all wild dendrobatids are at least somewhat toxic, levels of toxicity vary considerably from one species to the next and from one population to another. Many species are threatened. These amphibians are often called "dart frogs" due to the Amerindians' indigenous use of their toxic secretions to poison the tips of blowdarts. However, of over 175 species, only four have been documented as being used for this purpose (curare plants are more commonly used), all of which come from the Phyllobates genus, which is characterized by the relatively large size and high levels of toxicity of its members.
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