Poison Dart Frogs are small to medium-sized frogs that secrete poisons from glands in their skin. Some of the most colorful amphibians, they live in Central and South America.
Scientists think the frogs' poisons come from the insects and arthropods they eat.
However, the Museum's frogs, are not poisonous because we cannot duplicate their natural diet. They make poison darts by rubbing them across a frog's back. When struck by the poison dart, monkeys that might scurry away when hit by a regular dart are paralyzed quickly and fall from the trees. Only three of the more than 60 species of these frogs are used to make darts and only a few of the Poison Dart Frog species are poisonous enough to kill a person. There are over 100 Poison Dart Frog species known, and scientists frequently discover new species.