Kingdom : Animalia Class : Amphibia Family : Dendrobatidae Scientific Name : Dendrobatidae Size : 1.5 - 6cm (0.6 - 2.4in) Weight : 2 - 7g (0.07 - 0.25oz) Top Speed : 17km/h (10mph) Life Span : 2 - 4 years Colour : Green, Red, Blue, Yellow, Orange Skin Type : Permeable Special Features : Brightly coloured body and produces high level of toxins
- Poison dart frogs are found in the Central and South American Jungles.
- There are around 175 species of poison dart frogs in the world.
- They have toxic glands under their skin and excrete toxins through their skin.
- Depending on the species, they differ in size and toxin levels.
- They produce really high levels of toxin, so much so that most animals fall very sick by just licking them once.
- They get their name as their poison was used by the local tribe people on arrows and blow darts.
- Thus, they are also known as poison arrow frogs or dart frogs.
- They are brightly colored frogs that grow to be around 1.5-6cm.
- They inhabit the humid and moist forest ground or the foliage above it.
- They are carnivores, feeding on flies, ants, spiders, termites and insects.
- The feed by sticking out their long, sticky tongue to catch their prey.
- Except for a species of snake, that is immune to the poison dart frog’s poison, there are no other predators for them.
- Poison dart frogs are extremely devoted to their young and are known to carry the eggs to a safe canopy.
- The eggs stick to the mucus secreted on the mother frog’s back and are taken up to the canopy.
- Once the eggs hatch, the hatchlings are carried in a flower to a water pool.
- The mother poison dart frog lays unfertilized eggs to feed the hatchlings.
- Due to high levels of pollution and habitat loss, many of the species of poison dart frogs are considered to be critically endangered.