Poison Dart Frog Poison Dart Frog © 2016 National Geographic Partners, LLC. All rights reserved. BBC - Earth - Poison dart frogs are the most poisonous animals alive Frog Poison dart frogs are the most poisonous animals alive Some poison dart frogs are so lethal, native hunters once used them to make, well, poison darts. Why are these beautiful animals so deadly? By Karl Gruber 22 April 2015 In the midst of the hot and humid Colombian rainforest a nearly naked man walks silently among the trees, looking for his next meal. Spotting a distracted monkey, the hunter readies his blowgun and darts. One shot will be enough. According to a first-hand account from 1825, the dart is "certain death to man or animal wounded by it". That's because it is laced with poison. Hunters from Colombia's Embera tribe regularly hunted birds, monkeys and other small animals using poison darts. The poison came from bright yellow frogs just a few centimetres long. A single "golden poison frog" harbours enough poison to kill 10 grown men, making these frogs perhaps the most poisonous animals alive.

They are one of many species of toxic frogs, which are known as poison dart frogs. They are all small: the largest are no more than 6cm long, and some are just 1.5 cm. How did these tiny, beautiful creatures become so poisonous, and why? View image of A golden poison frog (Phyllobates terribilis) (Credit: Dirk Ercken/Alamy) Millions of animals produce toxic substances, but most of them are not poisonous. To be poisonous, an animal must be toxic to eat, or in extreme cases, even to lick. For instance, venomous snakes like the lethal inland taipan are not poisonous. They are only dangerous if they bite you, injecting their venom into your bloodstream. Only a handful of species pose a risk to humans The golden poison frog has no such limitations. It keeps its poison in glands beneath its skin, so any reckless human taking a bite would be in trouble immediately. Other poison dart frogs are far less toxic than the golden poison frog, and only a handful of species pose a risk to humans. Obtaining the poison for use on darts was a gruesome process, according to an account published in 1978 .

Local people would "catch the frogs in the woods, and confine them in a hollow cane." When they needed poison, they would take a frog and "pass a pointed piece of wood down his throat, and out at one of his legs." Unsurprisingly the frog would become agitated, and begin sweating poison, "especially on the back, which becomes covered with white froth". The people dipped their arrows in this poisonous liquid, which remained potent for a year. The poison is called batrachotoxin. It causes paralysis and death when it enters the bloodstream, even in minuscule amounts. View image of Anthony's poison arrow frog (Epipedobates anthonyi) (Credit: blickwinkel/Alamy) Batrachotoxin belongs to a large group of chemicals known as alkaloids, which are found in many animals and plants. With the exception of a few non-poisonous species, all other poison dart frogs also use alkaloid poisons. For example, Anthony's poison arrow frog lives in the forests of Peru and Ecuador. It is dark red or brown, with yellow stripes. It harbours two powerful alkaloids called epibatidine and phantasmidine.

According to a study published in 1998 , even tiny amounts of epibatidine can cause severe damage to an animal's brain and muscles. This can lead to respiratory paralysis, high blood pressure, seizures and death. What's more, it's not just adult frogs that are poisonous. Baby frogs are too. View image of A strawberry poison dart frog (Oophaga pumilio) (Credit: Visuals Unlimited/NPL) In a 2014 study , Ralph Saporito of John Carroll University in University Heights, Ohio, found that mother frogs supply their tiny tadpoles with poison. The tadpoles absorb the toxin and become poisonous themselves. Frogs feed their tadpoles on their own unfertilised eggs, and it's this food source that supplies the poison. "Mom is able to provide them a defence by placing alkaloids in the eggs," says Saporito. This has the useful effect of scaring off predators that might otherwise eat the tadpoles. "It appears that the alkaloids in tadpoles are sufficient in deterring some potential arthropod predators such as hungry dragonflies," says Saporito. They might also protect against infection.

Deterring predators seems to be a major use for the poisons in at least some species. That might not sound like much of a defence. After all, in theory the frog has still had a chunk bitten out of it, which won't do it any good. But in practice predator attacks hardly ever go that far, thanks to the frogs' other weapon: colour. View image of A marbled poison frog (Epipedobates boulengeri) (Credit: Bert Willaert/NPL) Poison dart frogs are brightly coloured, with a wide range of patterns. Their colours include white, black, yellow, orange, red, green, blue and everything in between, says Kyle Summers of East Carolina University in Greenville, who has studied them for 30 years. In nature, bright colours are often a warning sign. Many animals are dishonest: they boast bright colours yet pose no danger. However, most poison dart frogs are not bluffing. Their colours send a clear and honest signal that would-be predators should avoid them, says Summers In a study published in 2001 , Summers showed that the most conspicuous frogs, those bearing the brightest colours, were also the most poisonous.

His team rated how conspicuous the frogs were against a typical background, and found that this correlated strongly with how toxic their poison was. The predators may well have got the message, according to a 2012 study by Molly Cummings of the University of Texas at Austin. The brighter frogs were more toxic Her team collected strawberry poison dart frogs from western Panama, and measured how toxic the frogs' skin chemicals were. She also measured their colours precisely, using an instrument called a spectrophotometer, and determined how easily predatory birds could detect them. As before, the brighter frogs were more toxic, and Cummings' calculations suggested they were also more conspicuous to the birds. "This relationship informs potential predators, such as birds, just how much of a punch these frogs deliver," says Cummings. Back in 2006, she also showed that predatory birds quickly learn to avoid the colourful frogs . Clearly, being poisonous is advantageous to the frogs. The question is, how did they become so lethal? Poison dart frogs all belong to the same family of frogs, the dendrobatids.

It seems the frogs are descended from something like a true toad The group was born some 40-45 million years ago, somewhere in the forests of northern South America, says Juan Santos of the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada. "During this time most of South America was warm and covered with tropical forest, and the Andes were not higher than 2500m above sea level." The poison dart frogs' ancestors were not poisonous, and nor were they colourful or small, says Santos. In a study published in 2003 , Santos attempted to trace the ancestry of the frogs by examining their genes. The results are not definitive, but it seems the frogs are descended from something like a true toad , complete with warts. View image of Poison dart frogs may be descended from toads (Credit: Pete Oxford/NPL) This common ancestor was probably "diurnal", meaning it was active during the day, says Santos. Most of the 300 known poison dart frogs are diurnal, whereas most other frogs, including all of the poison dart frogs' likely ancestors, are active at night. "We expect that diurnality is derived from a nocturnal ancestor," says Santos.

In that respect, modern poison dart frogs are similar to their last common ancestor. But in another respect, the ancestor was completely different: it wasn't poisonous at all. "The origins of toxicity are more complicated," says Santos. The poison evolved some time after the origin of the poison dart frog lineage, according to Santos' data, and different groups evolved it at different times. "There are between 4 and 5 independent origins," says Santos. The first was around 30 million years ago, while the most recent was just 2.5 million years ago. The ancestors of poison dart frogs may have started eating toxic ants The key to the story is that the frogs don't make the poisons themselves. They get them from animals like ants that they eat. "These prey items are the main source of poison frogs' toxins," says Santos. The ancestors of poison dart frogs may have started eating toxic ants by sheer chance, and begun harbouring the poisons in their bodies. Some of the key chemicals on the frogs' skin have been traced to ants, beetles and millipedes. This seems to fit with Santos's claim that the frogs acquired the ability to make poison on several different occasions.

"Most of these origins are associated with locations that were, or are, covered with dense tropical rainforest with enough diversity of ants and mites," says Santos. These early poison dart frogs had a big problem: not being poisoned themselves. It is not yet clear how they managed to withstand and retain the poison, says Summers. Rainforests are dangerous places, with many predators out to eat a tasty frog One idea is that they had a high metabolic rate, meaning their bodies could process nutrients and other chemicals quickly. "The high metabolic rate could have been crucial in allowing members of this lineage to withstand and process the toxins," says Summers. In effect, the frogs were "pre-adapted". That may explain how the frogs became so poisonous, but why did they do it? Rainforests are dangerous places, with many predators out to eat a tasty frog. But many similarly small animals have found less extreme ways to survive, such as camouflaging themselves. There may have been something specific about the poison dart frogs' ancestors that made them predisposed to defend themselves using poison. Or it could be largely down to luck, says Summers. Whatever the truth, nowadays the frogs are not the only ones benefiting from their poisons.

Neuroscientists are studying the toxins in the hope of designing new drugs. "It's not that the compounds cause toxic effects that is of interest here," says Richard Fitch of Indiana State University in Terre Haute. "It's the way they do it that is useful to the scientist and physician." You wouldn't give phantasmidine to someone who's in pain There is precedent for this. Some alkaloids turn out to have anticancer activity, while others serve as stimulants similar to caffeine. Epibatidine and phantasmidine are prime examples. They may be lethal, but they also both numb pain. They act on the same receptors on our brain cells that respond to nicotine. You wouldn't give phantasmidine to someone who's in pain, but by studying its structure and chemistry it may be possible to design better pain-killing drugs. Fitch and his team are developing upgraded versions of phantasmidine that are similar enough to still ease pain, but without the toxicity. "If we can cut the key just right, we get the activity we want," says Fitch.

"That's perhaps a tall order, as we don't quite know what the lock looks like, but we have a key and that's a start." View image of South America's rainforests have been cut back (Credit: Arco Images GmbH/Alamy) This new use for poison dart frogs may well have replaced their previous one. The practice of using them to make poison darts was in decline as early as the 1970s. It's difficult to tell if the Embera people still do it, says Summers, because the area where they live is "remote and very dangerous because of guerilla activity". The skin of strawberry poison dart frogs can fend off some bacteria and fungi If no one is making poison darts anymore, that's good news for the frogs: at least they aren't being pierced with sticks. But like many amphibians, poison dart frogs are vulnerable to extinction, as the forests they live in have been hacked back. They may also be at risk from a fungus called chytridiomycosis, which kills amphibians by infecting their skin . Might their poisons offer them any protection?

The skin of strawberry poison dart frogs can fend off some bacteria and fungi, according to a study published in January 2015 . But that doesn't necessarily mean it can fight off the chytrid fungus. "At this point, we do not know if the alkaloids in dart poison frogs offer them any protection from chytrid," says Saporito. "This is something we are beginning to actively study in my lab." It seems unlikely that the poisons will be enough to save the frogs, but they might at least buy some time. Updated 23 April 2015: This article has been amended since its initial publication to clarify some of the statements made.

Poison Dart Frog (Dendrobatidae) - Animals - A-Z Animals Poison Dart Frog Five groups that classify all living things Animalia A group of animals within the animal kingdom Chordata A group of animals within a pylum Amphibia A group of animals within a class Anura A group of animals within an order Dendrobatidae Comprised of the genus followed by the species Dendrobatidae The animal group that the species belongs to Amphibian What kind of foods the animal eats Carnivore How long (L) or tall (H) the animal is 1.5-6cm (0.6-2.4in) The measurement of how heavy the animal is 2-7g (0.07-0.25oz) The fastest recorded speed of the animal 17km/h (10mph) How long the animal lives for 2-4 years Whether the animal is solitary or sociable Solitary The likelihood of the animal becoming extinct Threatened The colour of the animal's coat or markings Green, Red, Blue, Yellow, Orange The protective layer of the animal Permeable The specific area where the animal lives Tropical jungle and wet forests The average number of babies born at once

 10 Other animals that hunt and eat the animal Snake Brightly coloured body and produces high levels of toxins Poison Dart Frog Location Map of South America Poison Dart Frog Poison dart frogs are a group of frogs that are native to the tropical jungles of Central and South America.

Poison dart frogs excrete toxins through their skins, and the brightly coloured bodies of poison dart frogs warn potential predators not to eat them. Poison dart frogs vary in size , colour and the levels of toxin that they produce depending on the species of poison dart frog and the area in which it lives. There are more than 175 different species of poison dart frog known to be inhabiting the jungles across Central and South America. Poison dart frogs are often known as dart frogs or poison arrow frogs due to the fact that the tribes-people living close to the poison dart frogs , would use their poison in order to tip the ends of their arrows and blow-darts. Poison dart frogs live on the ground or in the foliage just above it. Poison dart frogs are found in moist and humid forests that are free from high levels of pollution. Today, many species of poison dart frogs are considered to be critically endangered in the wild, mainly due to pollution and habitat loss. Poison dart frogs are carnivorous animals that survive on a diet purely made up of meat. Poison dart frogs shoot out their long, sticky tongues to catch flies, ants , insects , spiders and termites.

Due to the high toxin levels produced by the poison dart frog , it has very few predators in the wild. Many animals will become extremely sick from just licking a poison dart frog , so they won't approach them. There is only one species of snake that is known to be immune to the poison of the poison dart frog. Many species of poison dart frog , make devoted parents as they carry their newborn hatchings from ground-level where they were laid to the safety of the canopy above. The eggs stick to mucus on the back of the mother poison dart frog , while she carries it a water-pool in a flower high in the trees. The female poison dart frog does this with all of her babies, and lays an unfertilised egg in the water for her young to eat. Share This Article Poison frogs | Smithsonian's National Zoo Conservation Physical Description Dendrobatids are commonly known as poison arrow and poison dart frogs due to native Indian tribes reportedly rubbing their arrow tips on the frogs' backs before hunting. However, only three species have been documented as actually being used for this purpose, including the golden poison frog, the most toxic of all frog species.

Much medical research is now being done with the alkaloid toxin, batrachotoxin, that the golden poison frog secretes. Researchers are trying to develop muscle relaxants, heart stimulants and anesthetics from the batrachotoxin. It is interesting to note that all three of these documented species belong to the genus Phyllobates and not Dendrobates, the genus that includes the most brightly colored of poison frogs that are most often recognized as "poison dart frogs." Poison frogs are known for their beautiful colors, and amphibians that have toxic skin secretions tend to have bright warning colors or patterns. It is theorized that these colors function as a visual warning, a learned response on the part of the predator. A predator that finds a certain kind of amphibian to be distasteful will associate the warning color with the bad taste and after one or more such experiences, will recognize the distasteful species and refrain from attacking. Aposematic coloration usually involves red, orange or yellow. Some animals have bright coloration that does not correlate to toxicity, presumably mimicking those animals in which color truly is a warning.

Size Poison frogs are generally small species, about 0.75 to 1.5 inches (20 to 40 millimeters) in length. Communication Poison frogs can be heard calling in the flooded forest. Most species of frogs have well-developed vocal structures capable of producing a variety of sounds that serve to attract mates, advertise territories or express distress. Sound production is often the most common form of communication in animals that jump or fly because they would otherwise have a difficult time communicating by scent. Frogs produce sounds using their laryngeal apparatuses (larynx/vocal chords) and most males have vocal sacs that function as resonating chambers. Species of frogs can be identified based on their calls. Food/Eating Habits Poison frogs feed mostly on small insects such as ants and termites, which they find on the forest floor. Many species capture their prey by using their sticky, retractable tongues. Scientists believe that poison frogs gain their poison from a specific arthropod and other insects that they eat in the wild and that these insects most likely acquire the poison from their plant diet. As a result, poison frogs in human care on a diet of crickets and other non-poisonous insects are not poisonous themselves.

Most species have omnivorous tadpoles that will eat all sorts of food from algae and detritus to insect larvae and dead insects. Some species tend to be more carnivorous (such as the tri-colored poison frog) and eat insect larvae and other tadpoles. Females of some poison frog species place individual tadpoles in water in bromeliads and then periodically return to the site of each tadpole and deposit unfertilized eggs, which the tadpoles eat. At the Zoo, they are fed small crickets, bean beetles, black worms and/or fruit flies daily and as a result, are not poisonous. Occasionally insects are coated with vitamin powder for extra nutrition. Reproduction and Development In wet tropical rainforests, both sexes breed throughout the year, with rainfall being the primary factor controlling the timing of reproductive activity. Poison dart frogs display elaborate and diverse courtship behaviors. In general, the male will lead the female to a site that he has chosen to lay the eggs. Most of these species of frogs deposit their eggs inside leaf-litter, where it is dark and moist. At the Zoo, keepers make an artificial breeding "hut" for the frogs. Some species also deposit their eggs in bromeliads.

Courtship behavior can last for several hours and normally, the pair visit several deposition sites before they start mating. Courtship continues at the deposition site where the frogs start a mating "dance" consisting of mutual stroking and cleaning of the surface of the leaves. Poison frogs' clutch size varies between species from one to 40 eggs per clutch. After the eggs are laid, the male fertilizes the clutch. However, in some species, the male releases his sperm before the eggs are laid. The pair will usually guard the eggs to make sure that they do not dry out. After about ten to 18 days and depending on the species and temperature, the eggs have matured into tadpoles. Either males or females remain with, or periodically visit, the nest. All poison frog species carry their tadpoles on their backs. The adult sits in the remainder of the gelatinous egg clutch and the tadpoles will wriggle up the hind limbs and onto the back. The adult carries the tadpoles to a small stream, pool or other small body of water. Some species transport whole clutches at one time and are completely covered with tadpoles, others transport them one by one or only a few at a time.

After several months, the tadpoles go through metamorphosis and become adult frogs. Sleep Habits Poison Dart Frog (Dendrobates; Epibpedobate; Phyllobates) | Rainforest Alliance Mexico & Central America South America Fact Indigenous cultures have used these frogs’ poison for centuries to coat the tip of their blow darts before hunting. Anatomy Poison dart frogs are one of the planet’s most brightly colored animals. Depending on the species, they can be yellow, copper, gold, red, blue, green, black or a combination of those colors. Their showy colors and startling designs help warn predators of the danger they impose—a defense mechanism known as “aposematic coloration.” Within their skin, they store natural venom that can paralyze, or even kill, a predator. The Dendrobatidae family of frogs includes some of the world’s most toxic species. The golden poison dart frog, for example, contains enough poison to kill 10 adult men. Indigenous cultures, such as the Chocó people of Colombia, have used these frogs’ poison for centuries to coat the tip of their blow darts before hunting—a tradition that inspired the frogs’ common name.

Despite their fearsome traits, they are relatively small and usually grow to be just one to two inches (2.5 to 5 cm) long. Habitat Poison dart frogs can be found in the tropical rainforests of Central and South America. Unlike many other amphibians, poison dart frogs are diurnal. Most species are terrestrial but a few are arboreal. Diet Poison dart frogs are insectivores, preferring to eat ants and other small insects that they can hunt among the leaf litter of the forest floor. It is believed that the toxins in the frogs’ bodies may be related to the type and amount of insects that they consume. Threats Due to their toxicity, poison dart frogs have only one natural predator -- the Leimadophis epinephelus, a species of snake that has developed a resistance to their venom. Far more detrimental to the species is the destruction of their habitat. Many poison dart frog species are facing a decline in numbers, and some have been classified as endangered due to the loss of their rainforest habitat. Did you know? Many species of poison dart frogs are very attentive parents. The females will lay 30 to 40 eggs encased in a jellylike substance on the forest floor.

When they hatch, the tadpoles will squirm onto the parent’s back, where they will be safe from predators until the parents find a suitable small, safe pool of water for them to continue their metamorphosis. Often these parents choose the tiny pools of water held within bromeliads, and deposit a few tadpoles in each pool. Every few days, the female will return to these pools to deposit several infertile eggs which provide nutrition for the developing young, who reach their full size within two to three months. Sources Poison Dart Frogs Family: Dendrobatidae Genus: Dendrobates There are ten species belonging to genus Dendrobates. The most common are Dendrobates auratus , the green and black poison dart frog, Dendrobates azureus , the blue poison dart frog, Dendrobates histrionicus , Dendrobates lehmanni , Dendrobates leucomelas , the yellow-banded poison dart frog, Dendrobates pumilio , the strawberry poison dart frog, and Dendrobates tinctorius . The class Amphibia includes other tetrapod organisms such as salamanders and toads.

Amphibians are ectothermic and do not have amniotic eggs. The name of the order Anura translates to “without tail,” a characteristic that is recognized as a synapomorphic trait of frogs and toads. The specialized fusion of their bones in the tibia and fibula is also a synapomophic character state that supports jumping in frogs and toads. Evolution Dendrobatids are neobatrachians. Within this group, the position of Dendrobatids has been a subject of debate. Some authors have placed dendrobatids in Bufonoidea and some in Ranoidea. The most recognized is the latter. Dendrobatidae share several synapomorphic traits with Ranoidea, such as their cartilaginous sternum, horizontal pupil and unnotched tongue. Distribution and Habitat Dendrobates are found in various regions of Central and South America in countries such as Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Brazil, Venezuela, Ecuador and Colombia. Dendrobates auratus, can also be found in Hawaii, where it was introduced by humans and thrived. Dendrobates are restricted to locations where the humidity level is extremely high.

Most frogs are terrestrial and live in damp leaf litter on rainforest floors, but some are arboreal and climb trees very easily. Poison arrow frogs very rarely go into water, except to lay their eggs. Physical Characteristics Poison arrow frogs are brightly coloured. The colours vary between the species. Some are red, yellow, orange or blue, and they often have striking stripes or crossbars. The organisms are extremely small in size; they reach a maximum length of only 2-5 cm. Dendrobates weigh only a few grams. Click on an image to view larger version & data in a new window Picture illustrating the small size of a yellow-banded poison dart frog, Dendrobates leucomelas (© 2003 B Smith ) Dendrobates skin glands, particularly those located on the back and the ears of the frog, produce an extremely strong neurotoxin known as batrachotoxin which affects the nerve impulses and the heart of prey. Behaviour Feeding The frogs’ main sources of food are small insects (e. g., ants), mites, and spiders. They are often lured to the frog by their extravagant colours and then are poisoned by toxins produced in the frogs’ skin glands.

The prey dies almost instantaneously, and frogs then orally ingest them. Some researches have suggested that skin toxins of the frogs are derived from precursor molecules found in their prey. Predation The combination of the poison dart frogs' colouration and diurnal habit reduce the risk of predation on these organisms. Dendrobatids only have very few predators. Several species of snakes in South America are capable of eating these frogs because they are not affected by the poison that the frogs produce. Reproduction Courtship and Mating The mating season for the poison arrow frogs is during the rainy season of the rain forests, from about mid-July to mid-September. The male poison arrow frogs go through quite an elaborate ritual to attract the females. They fight amongst themselves to establish territories, which remain theirs until the end of the mating season. The male then attracts females through vocalization, by letting out a loud trill. Nesting Once the male has successfully completed the courtship ritual, females can lay up to six eggs which they normally do in small lukewarm pools of water at the brim of leaves, high on the canopy in a safe place. The male frogs then go and fertilizes the eggs.

The eggs are protected from decay by a gelatinous substance which encases them. Development After the eggs are laid in a save location, the male frog returns to the eggs periodically to check on them. It takes about twelve days for the eggs to hatch into tadpoles. Once the tadpoles are hatched, they climb onto the male's back where he will carry them to a safe location such as a stream, a lake, little ponds or even broken trees and branches for them to continue their development. There, the frogs are now on their own and take an average of six to twelve weeks to metamorphose into full adult frogs. Interesting Facts The Embera Choco people of South America used to coat their weapons such as darts with the frogs' toxin. The National Institute of Health claims that the poison dart frogs have over three hundred alkaloid components similar to cocaine and morphine. Batrachotoxin has already been used in anesthetics in surgery. Information on the Internet Thinkquest: Poison Dart Frog References Cannatella, David, Ford, Linda, and Bockstanz, Lori. 2008. Neobatrachia. "Higher" Frogs. Version 11 January 2008.

in The Tree of Life Web Project, Heying, H. 2003. "Dendrobatidae". Animal Diversity Web. Rome, L.C., Lutz, G.J. 1994. Built for jumping: the design of the frog muscular system. Science 263(5145):370-2. Team C007974 Thinkquest. 2000. Poison dart frog. Poison Plants and Animals. Learning Information Poison Frog | San Diego Zoo Animals & Plants San Diego Zoo Animals & Plants SPECIES: 220 ABOUT Here I am—don't eat me! Poison frogs are known as the jewels of the rain forest and come in just about every color combination you can think of: red and black, yellow and green, orange and silver, blue and yellow, green and black, pink and silver. Their sparkling colors, however, are not for beauty but for warning: “Hey! Here I am, and I am poisonous, so don’t even think about eating me!” Poison frogs are tiny, terrestrial, diurnal frogs that live primarily in leaf litter on the forest floor, but some species live high in the forest canopy and may never come down.

All are native to warm Central and South American rain forests near streams or ponds. The frogs’ poison is found in their skin, making them too toxic to touch. While most species are considered toxic but not deadly, they are distasteful to a predator and can even be fatal. The poison can cause serious swelling, nausea, and muscular paralysis. If a predator survives the mistake of trying to eat one, it will remember tasting such a frog and will not try to eat anything similar in the future. In this way, an entire population of frogs of a particular color can benefit from the predator’s experience with only one of their kind. However, there is one snake, the Leimadophis epinephelus, that is immune to poison frog toxins and feeds on the little creatures. Poison frogs are often called poison dart frogs because the Choco people of western Colombia use the poison of one species, the golden poison frog, to coat the tips of the blow darts they use for hunting. The Choco use waxy leaves to pick up the frogs and dip their blow darts in the frogs’ skin secretions. Just a tiny drop can kill the birds and small mammals that the Choco hunt for food.

A single golden poison frog, which is no larger than a bottle cap, can supply enough poison for 30 to 50 darts, and the dart's poison remains active for up to a year. Researchers have found this frog’s toxins to be 200 times more potent than morphine and could potentially be used in medicine. You'll also hear poison frogs called "poison arrow frogs," but that's not accurate. The South American people who hunt with arrows usually coat their arrow tips with plant poisons, not frog poisons. Scientists know of only three frog species used for this purpose, so they suggest calling the family “poison frogs” rather than “poison dart frogs.” To further complicate matters, many species of this frog family are not at all toxic to animals or humans. Each poison frog species produces a different kind of toxin made up of different alkaloids and other chemicals. Scientists have been investigating medical uses for frog poisons and have discovered that some of these alkaloids may be beneficial for people with certain heart and circulatory conditions. One laboratory has developed a new painkiller from the substances produced by the phantasmal poison frog Epipedrobates tricolor.

Named “epibatidine” in honor of the frog, it is 200 times more effective than morphine, without all of the bad side effects! There is a complex chemical process involved in the production of this medicinal pain killer from the "raw" biochemicals of the frog. During this process its efficacy for use in humans is modified to reduce the potency. Poison frog secretions also show promise for the development of muscle relaxants and heart stimulants. HABITAT AND DIET The poisons in these tiny frogs come from their diet in their rain forest habitats in Central and South America: mostly ants, termites, centipedes, and tiny beetles. This diversity of food items is required to create the chemical toxins by the frog. Specific toxins are passed from each bug to the frog when eaten, which then collect in glands in the frog’s skin. Frogs hatched at zoos aren’t poisonous, because they don’t eat the same food as their wild counterparts. Poison frogs brought from the wild into zoos and fed a regular zoo diet eventually lose most, if not all, of their toxicity.

At the San Diego Zoo and San Diego Zoo Safari Park, poison frogs are fed pinhead crickets, fruit flies, and young springtails. FAMILY LIFE Most frog species are nocturnal, but poison frogs are active during the day, when their jewel-colored bodies can best be seen and avoided. The frogs are very social and often stay in pairs or small groups. Males wrestle over territories, females tussle over the best egg-laying sites, and courting pairs nudge and caress one another with their chins and forearms. Things are seldom dull in the poison frog world! Breeding time begins with poison frogs wrestling with one another, often flipping over an opponent. The winner may secure a territory or a mate, and the females are the most competitive. Courtship, which begins with the male calling and the couple chasing, hopping on, and stroking each other, can last for hours. Female poison frogs lay small clutches of eggs, from 1 to 30 on average. They usually deposit them in a quiet, dark, moist environment, such as in the base of a bromeliad leaf, the crook in a tree branch, or a small hole in a tree trunk.

Both parents help keep the eggs moist and free from fungal growth and predators such as ants. Black-legged poison frog tadpoles wriggle onto the father or mother's back, so that they can be carried to a water source. Poison frogs are also unique among amphibians because they are very involved parents and contribute a lot of energy to caring for their eggs and offspring. For example, frogs in the Colostethus genus lay their eggs on the forest floor or on the edge of a leaf. The father guards the eggs until they hatch. The hatchlings, called tadpoles, wriggle out of their gelatin cases onto the father or mother's back. The parents carry their tadpoles to a water source, such as a pond or bromeliad. Females of other species often return to their tadpoles to lay unfertilized eggs that serve as a food source for the growing youngsters. Other poison frog species lay their eggs directly in water but continue to look after the eggs and tadpoles. And some, like the blue poison frog, tend to eat their siblings as tadpoles, so the parents must find a different water source for each individual hatchling. The young poison frogs do not look like their parents.

As they develop, they change in body shape, diet, and lifestyle, a process all frogs go through called metamorphosis. The young hatch out of their egg as a tadpole with gills to breathe underwater and a tail for swimming. At this point they do not have the poisonous toxins in their skin and so are vulnerable to predators such as snakes and fish. As they get older, they develop lungs, rear legs, and a different mouth. At about eight weeks, front legs begin to form, and the rear legs continue to develop. Their eyes also change position, and during the 10th week, that tail is absorbed and the color pattern appears. At this point, the tadpole has gradually changed into an adult frog, which spends most of its time hopping on land rather than swimming like a fish in water. Poison frogs are usually mature at about a year and can live 8 to 15 years, depending on the species. AT THE ZOO Although the San Diego Zoo began in 1916, we had no frogs at all until 1968.

Today, the Zoo has a reptile, amphibian, and California native species area called Reptile Walk, which opened in July 2012. The new exhibits gives guests the opportunity to view tiny poison frogs as well as other wonderfully unique amphibians up close. The Zoo currently has green and black poison frogs, dyeing poison frogs, splash back poison frogs, and black-legged poison frogs on exhibit in Reptile Walk. Hop on over to see them! CONSERVATION Can you imagine a world without frogs? While some poison frog populations are considered stable, their populations aren’t large, and their habitats are rapidly shrinking. These fascinating and beautiful little frogs are threatened by loss of their rain forest habitat and by over-collection for the pet trade. The blue poison frog has become a very popular pet in the U.S., due to its dramatic coloring. Thousands have been smuggled into pet shops all over the world, causing a swift decline in the wild population. Another major threat to these tiny frogs is disease. One of those diseases is called chytrid fungus. It grows on the skin of adult frogs and essentially suffocates them, because they’re unable to absorb water and oxygen through their skin.

San Diego Zoo Global’s scientists have been working with other scientists to survey and document the impact of chytrid in Panama. So far, they have not found that poison frogs are greatly impacted by the fungus. However, it is spreading to new areas and at some point, the poison frogs may need rescuing, too. Biologists consider frogs to be one of the major “canaries in the coal mine,” as frogs are extremely sensitive to small changes in their environment. Disappearing species are good indicators to researchers that climate change is having an effect on the Earth’s ecology. LIFE SPAN Poison Dart Frog - Animal Adaptations Animal Adaptations What do they look like? Poison dart frogs have smooth moist skin. Their skin is brightly colored. The colors can be different including: yellow, gold, copper, red, green, blue, or black. Their skin can also have designs on it. They are small. They range from in size from one-half inch to 2 inches long. Where in the world are they found? These amphibians are found in Central and South America. What is their habitat? They are found in tropical rain forests. What is their diet (prey)?

They eat flies, ants, beetles, caterpillars and other bugs. How do they defend themselves? Their skin color provides camouflage. Their bright colors and designs scare predators away. Who are their predators? The only animal predator is a snake for which the frogs' skin is not poisonous. Due to humans cutting down rain forests and plowing grasslands for farming, these frogs are losing their habitat. What are their adaptations that allow them to survive? 1. They have brightly colored skin. This adaptation warns other animals to stay away. 2. The frog’s skin is poisonous. This adaptation kills the frog’s attackers. Cool facts!! A poison dart frog is the world’s most poisonous frog. Its poisonous skin can even kill people. Native peoples of Colombia have used its poison to tip their blowgun darts when hunting. Learn more! Poison Dart Frogs | National Geographic Poison Dart Frogs About Poison Dart Frogs Poison dart frogs, members of the Dendrobatidae family, wear some of the most brilliant and beautiful colors on Earth. Depending on individual habitats, which extend from the tropical forests of Costa Rica to Brazil, their coloring can be yellow, gold, copper, red, green, blue, or black.

Their elaborate designs and hues are deliberately ostentatious to ward off potential predators, a tactic called aposematic coloration. Parenting Some species display unusual parenting habits, including carrying both eggs and tadpoles on their backs. Although this "backpacking" is not unique among amphibians, male poison arrow frogs are exceptional in their care, attending to the clutch, sometimes exclusively, and performing vital transportation duties. Toxicity Dendrobatids include some of the most toxic animals on Earth. The two-inch-long (five-centimeter-long) golden poison dart frog has enough poison to kill 10 grown men. Indigenous Emberá people of Colombia have used its powerful poison for centuries to tip their blowgun darts when hunting, hence the genus' common name. Scientists are unsure of the source of poison dart frogs' toxicity, but it is possible they assimilate plant poisons which are carried by their prey, including ants, termites and beetles. Poison dart frogs raised in captivity and isolated from insects in their native habitat never develop poison. The medical research community has been exploring possible medicinal uses for some poison dart frog poison. They have already developed a synthetic version of one compound that shows promise as a painkiller.

© 1996-Sat Jan 14 17:01:47 EST 2017 National Geographic Society.

Question: """Poison arrow"" or ""poison dart"" is what type of creature?"
Answer: Frog