Fun Poison Dart Frog Facts For Kids

The poison dart frog is also referred to as the poison frog or the dart-poison frog. Previously known as the poison arrow frog, this frog belongs to the order Anura, family Dendrobatidae and is native to various countries located across South and Central America. The golden poison frog is one of the famous types of poison arrow frogs. Some other examples of the poison arrow dart frog include the yellow-banded poison dart frog, the green poison dart frog, and the strawberry poison dart frog.

This frog species is known for its brightly colored bodies and diurnal nature. The frog's skin is poisonous as well. The bright colors may vary across different poison frogs belonging to this species and are correlated to their toxicity. They are an aposematic species, which means that their colors help them to identify themselves to predators in the wild as creatures that aren't worth eating.

In this article, we're going to take you through some of the most astounding poison dart frog facts. From the poison dart frog scientific name to poison dart frog habitat to poison dart frog behavior - we'll cover everything you need to know about this unique frog species in this article. If you're interested in reading more facts-based articles, why don't you go through some of our other articles such as axolotl and bullfrog facts?

What type of animal is a poison dart frog?

The poison frog is a type of frog.

What class of animal does a poison dart frog belong to?

The poison frog belongs to the amphibian class of animals.

How many poison dart frogs are there in the world?

Poison dart frogs have been given the Endangered conservation status. However, it remains unclear as to exactly how many poison dart frogs remain in the wild.

Where does a poison dart frog live?

Poison dart frogs thrive in tropical rainforests in the most humid and tropical regions of South and Central America. Some of the countries in the region that have high populations of poison dart frog subspecies include Brazil, Costa Rica, Bolivia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Colombia, Peru, French Guiana, Suriname, Hawaii, Panama, Nicaragua, and Guyana.

What is a poison dart frog's habitat?

The poison frogs are most often found in tropical rainforests. Apart from tropical rainforests, some populations of poison dart frogs are also known to inhabit lowland forests that are moist, high-altitude shrublands, freshwater marshes, swamps, and lakes. Some subspecies may also be present in moist savanna, rural plantations and gardens, pastureland, arable land, rocky regions, and premontane forests.

Who do poison dart frogs live with?

Different subspecies of poison dart frogs display different social behaviors. While some are social and allow others into their territories, others can be extremely territorial and may engage in aggressive behaviors with strangers who enter their territories.

How long does a poison dart frog live?

Poison dart frogs in captivity typically live more than 10 years. However, it's difficult to put a number on their average life span in the wild as different populations are exposed to different threats and environmental factors.

How do they reproduce?

The dart frog poison, both males and females, is known for being extremely dedicated in terms of being parents. For example, several poison dart frog subspecies belonging to the genera Ranitomeya and Oophaga carry the tadpoles that are newly hatched into the canopy. The tadpoles keep themselves firmly positioned on the adult frogs' backs by sticking to the mucus present there. After reaching the rainforest trees' upper reaches, the poison dart frog tadpoles are deposited in the pools of water that keep accumulating in bromeliads and other epiphytic plants. In their nursery, the tadpoles eat invertebrates. Their mothers supplement their diet through the depositing of eggs in the pools of water. Poison frogs are reliant on the external fertilization of their eggs. After the female lays the unfertilized eggs, the male fertilizes them.

What is their conservation status?

Poison dart frogs have been classified as an endangered species. Their numbers have significantly gone down in recent years due to habitat loss caused by destructive human activities along with the pet trade. Several subspecies have also been affected by a variety of chytrid diseases.

What do poison dart frogs look like?

Almost all the subspecies of poison dart frogs are small. In terms of appearance, most poison dart frogs are brightly colored and most of them feature patterns that involve multiple colors. For example, there are many poison dart frogs that feature color combinations such as green and black, yellow and black, and more. Research conducted regarding the unique appearances of different poison dart frogs has revealed that the bright color combinations act as aposematic patterns that allow the frogs to communicate the fact that they're not to be eaten by potential predators. Different poison frogs exhibit differences in terms of how toxic they are and the potential predators that would be affected by their poison. Even though numerous subspecies of this species are known as poison frogs, an average poison dart frog's skin doesn't carry a lot of poison. However, the ones that are can be extremely toxic. The golden poison frog is the most toxic type of poison dart frogs and the poison in one golden poison frog is thought to be enough to kill 20 adult humans or 20,000 mice.

How cute are they?

If you find frogs cute and likable, you have every chance of liking poison dart frogs. Due to their appearance, which includes bright color combinations and patterns, they may appear much better-looking compared to other frog species.

How do they communicate?

Poison frogs possess vocal cords along with vocal sacs, which have an inflatable amplifier-like function. The signature call of the poison frog, known as the croak, is initiated by a frog by first breathing in and then closing the nostrils. This results in air being forced forward and backward between the frogs' vocal sacs and lungs. The air is vibrated by the vocal cords, which generates the iconic croaking sound. However, there are some differences between male croaks and female croaks. Poison frogs are known for making a variety of croaks and to ensure that different subspecies survive, each subspecies has a particular type of mating call. For example, if a male blue poison dart frog attempts to attract a female by calling out, only female blue poison dart frogs might respond. The same can be said for a male golden poison dart frog trying to attract a female.

How big is a poison dart frog?

An adult Chinese giant salamander, which is one of the largest amphibians, is on average 100 times bigger than a poison dart frog.

How fast can a poison dart frog swim?

The average and peak swimming speeds of poison dart frogs are still not known for sure.

How much does a poison dart frog weigh?

Most adult poison dart frogs weigh around 0.06 lb (28 g) each.

What are their male and female names of the species?

There are no gender-specific names for male and female poison dart frogs.

What would you call a baby poison dart frog?

You'd call a baby poison dart frog a tadpole.

What do they eat?

This endangered species is known for eating ants, termites, and a variety of other arthropods. Some other insects that poison dart frogs eat include fruit flies, young crickets, and small beetle species. They are known for being extremely opportunistic during hunting. The fact that they can catch fast-moving prey makes them one of the most predators as far as amphibians are concerned. The diet of poison dart frogs has long fascinated experts and in recent years, it has been estimated that the species became poisonous in the first place by ingesting the poisons that are commonly present in insects in humid and tropical forests, which play major roles in their diet. Through the course of evolution, the poison dart frogs may have gradually become immune to those poisons, but remain highly capable of passing them on through their skin to other creatures such as humans. However, if the diet of a poison dart frog doesn't include toxic insects, it won't become poisonous.

How far can they jump?

The length that can be covered by the average poison dart frog is unknown. However, as poison dart frogs are among the smallest frogs in the world, it's typically thought that they can't jump from one tree to the next one, even in tropical rainforests full of trees. That's why most poison dart frogs prefer traversing the wild on the ground.

Would they make a good pet?

If you love frogs but are worried about the toxicity of these colored frogs, you'd be glad to know that poison dart frog pets aren't poisonous at all. Even if you adopt one from the wild, you can expect it to lose its toxicity over time. This happens because, in the wild, these frogs develop their toxicity because of their diet, which includes a wide variety of toxic ants and other insects. However, in captivity, if such toxic insects aren't consumed by them, they don't remain poisonous.

Did you know...

The poison dart frog population that's found in Hawaii is a result of the species being introduced to the country as a part of preservation efforts.

What eats a poison dart frog?

There aren't many poison dart frog predators in the wild. It has only one natural predator, the Leimadophis epinephelus, a species of snake that has developed a resistance to their venom.

What happens if you touch a poison dart frog?

It's the skin of a poison dart frog that carries its poison. So if you touch a poison dart frog, you are bound to feel some of the effects of the poison. However, if you touch a poison dart frog in captivity that has probably lost all of its toxicity, you won't experience effects such as muscular paralysis, nausea, and swelling.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other amphibians including Surinam toad, or olm.

You can even occupy yourself at home by drawing one on our poison dart frog coloring page.