This seems likely as those with the highest toxicity, consume the most ants. While scientists aren’t sure, it seems that the toxins the frogs produce come from a diet high in toxin-containing animals, such as ants or centipedes. Their toxins likely come from their diets. The most toxic species have very bright colours, while those that aren’t toxic are dull.Ĩ. The degree of toxicity generally coincides with how bright they are. Predators see their bright colours and know they are not safe to eat. This is the scientific term given to animals that signify their toxicity with bright colours. Overtime, animals learn not to consume them. When a predator consumes them, they either die or are extremely ill. They never use these toxins to attack or for hunting, they are only for self-defence. Their toxins are for self-defence, not hunting. When stressed, a frog may secrete large amounts of toxin all at once.ĥ. They are stored in glands under the skin, with the toxin being secreted through pores. Their toxins are secreted from their skin. This means that they do not inject their toxins into others, like snakes, they instead have to be consumed or licked. There are a huge variety of poison dart frogs, and not all of them are poisonous. There are over 170 species of poison dart frog. Indigenous people use just 4 species of poison dart frog, which have some of the highest toxicity of all dart frogs.Ģ. Their toxins were placed in the tips of blow darts, giving them their name. Indigenous peoples used their toxins to make darts. They can live up to 15 years in the wild, and longer in captivity. As amphibians, they need to be near a source of water. The majority live on the forest floor, however some like to live up in the canopy. They are found in tropical regions of Central and South America, where they inhabit humid topical forests like the Amazon. Many are colourful to show of how dangerously toxic they are, while others are plain and completely non-toxic. There are over 170 species of poison dart frogs, but not all are poisonous. Some are bright colours (yellow, green, gold etc) while others are more dull (green, brown, black)įire-bellied snake (Leimadophis epinephelus) Their name comes from the fact that indigenous Amazonian groups use the poison from several species of the frog to make poison darts. This is a group of frogs from the family Dendrobatidae, that are well known their bright colours and highly toxic nature.
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