POISON-DART FROGS

Dendrobatidae

Poison-dart frog is a collective name of a group of 170 frog species native to the warm and humid tropical rainforests in Central and South America. Despite their tiny sizes of 2 to 5 cm’s in length, they are one of the most toxic animals in the world. The vivid colours and patterns varied by species is to warn predators of their lethal potency. They do not produce their own poison, but it from their food source of ants and termites, and excrete (or sweat) the digested toxins out on their backs in a condensed state. Indigenous communities were recorded to rub their arrows on specific frogs before hunting. The poison is most deadly once it gets in the blood flow, but can also cause serious illness by ingesting or even just by handling the frogs.