Poison Dart Frog

Poison Dart Frog

These beautiful little creatures, native to Central and South America, are like brightly coloured jewels bouncing amongst the foliage.

Don't be fooled though, they are small but deadly.

As their name suggests these Frogs secrete toxic poison from their skin. The bright colours on their body act as a warning to potential predators that eating them would be a mistake.

Toxicity varies between Dart Frog species. Most pose little threat to humans but the Golden Poison Dart Frog is amongst the most poisonous animals in the world; with enough poison to kill ten to twenty men!

It is not yet fully understood exactly how they produce this deadly poison, but it is suspected that they absorb chemicals from the prey that they eat in order to synthesis the poison.

Poison Dart Frogs are threatened by habitat loss due to human activities such as logging and farming.