Poison Dart Frogs

Poison Dart Frog is the common name given to the group of Dendrobatid frogs belonging to the family of Dendrobatidae. This group of frogs have many common names including: poison arrow frog, poison arrow dart frog, or simply dart frog. These frogs received their common name from the toxic skin a few species possess, such as the most poisonous dart frog Phyllobates terribilis, also known as the golden poison dart frogs. Even their lick can be fatal. Certain tribes in South America dip their hunting arrows in the toxins found on the skin of these frogs (the poison is collected via roasting the frogs and the toxin dripping into a cup).

When shooting a poison-tipped arrow at a wild animal, the animal will die within minutes from the neurotoxin, making additional shots unnecessary to kill the animal. Poison dart frog is traditionally characterized by their brightly colored skin and small size. The skin color can range from bright orange and black to true blue, to yellow, blue, and black spots.

Poison dart frog is only found in three geographical regions: Central America, South America, and on a few of the Hawaiian islands. In Hawaii, the only species found in the wild is the green and black poison dart frog. It is believed that the species was actually introduced to the islands during the 19th or 20th centuries by man.

There are well over 100 different species of poison dart frog found in the wild, only a handful of which are actually toxic to animals and humans. It is believed the few species that are toxic become so through their diet, which consists in part of carpenter ants. These ants are believed to eat an unknown wild plant which has toxic properties, which are passed from the plant to the ant to the poison dart frog, then digested and secreted on the outside of the amphibian's skin. Because their diet is not the same as in the wild, in captivity all species of the poison dart frog is completely harmless. Frogs brought from the wild into captivity and fed a regular captive diet eventually lose their toxicity.

Poison dart frogs range in size from 1/2" to 2 1/2" long when fully grown. Size depends not only on age of the frog, but also the species. Dendrabates tinctorius is one of the larger species, reaching 2 1/2" in size. Smaller species, like Dendrobates imitator do not reach much more than an inch. Poison dart frogs typically have a lifespan of 5 to 12+ years.

Most species reach maturity around 1.5 to 2.5 years of age. The easiest way to determine the sex of a particular species of poison dart frog is by observation in the wild. Mature male frogs will usually make a mating call after eating or after a heavy misting of water. The sound is similar to that of a series of high-pitched "clicks".

In juvenile frogs the sex can sometimes be determined by the profile of the amphibian. The backs of males usually slope down with less of a break than females. Females are usually rounder and show a bigger break. In captivity, most species thrive where humidity is kept around 80-100% constantly and temperature hovers around 80-82 F degrees during the day and no lower than 60-65 F degrees at night.