In the humid forests of South and Central America you can meet amazing frogs. Their sizes range from 7 to 1.5 cm. But thanks to the amazing, bright and juicy coloring, it is impossible not to notice even the smallest representatives of this family.
These beautiful amphibians are called poison dart frogs. All of them are united by one common feature: small and large, multi-colored and monophonic, these amphibians are deadly poisonous, and the color that distinguishes them is a warning to the outside world about the danger. Let's take a closer look at some species.
Blue dart frog
This representative of amphibian poison dart frogs cannot be called small, although its size is less than 5 cm. The blue poison dart frog is a very beautiful frog. Her dark blue body is covered with a variety of black spots and dots that make up a unique pattern. There are few of these beauties left in the natural environment. The only known place where the population has survived is Suriname.
The blue dart frog lives in groups or groups. Little is known about the behavior of this frog species in nature. They have almost no natural enemies, since the amphibian is very poisonous. This affects the behavior of the group and its confidence in its integrity.
Despite the fact that it is forbidden by law to catch dangerous little beauties, blue poison dart frogs are often found in home collections and in zoo terrariums. It's easy to keep them. It is enough to recreate the warm, humid climate of the homeland and fill the terrarium with greenery and stones. Like all frogs, poison dart frogs feed on small insects.
Spotted arrowhead
The spotted dart frog is one of the most poisonous frogs of this family. An amphibian lives in the jungles of Colombia. Its size does not exceed three centimeters, but the poison is able to paralyze a large animal. It is secreted by the skin of this amphibian and is more dangerous than that of the rattlesnake. And the saddest thing is that there is no antidote for it.
Indigenous peoples of South America have long used poison produced by spotted poison dart frogs for war and hunting. They were smeared with arrowheads to repel an attack or drive away predatory animals.
Representatives of this species are diurnal. Their color variations are very diverse - on dark skin there may be spots of the most unexpected shades: yellow, crimson, blue, and so on.
Golden Dart Frog
Golden dart frogs are also very poisonous. They live in the humid tropical forests of Colombia. They love heat and rain. They live in small groups of 5-6 individuals each. The beautiful rich yellow coloration of the skin warns of severe toxicity. A person can die from touching the baby, because his nerve transmission is disrupted.impulses throughout the body.
Red Frog
For the first time, a red tree frog was found in the jungles of Costa Rica. It was quite recently, literally in 2011. Her body is orange-red, and her hind legs are dark blue. Dark spots are scattered all over the body. The frog is very toxic. Its poison is dangerous to humans.
Home maintenance
Keeping poison dart frogs at home is very interesting. Many people think that it is dangerous, and they are wrong. It turns out that toxic substances are not produced by small amphibians, but gradually accumulate from a characteristic diet.
In nature, poison dart frogs eat special ants, termites and worms that contain dangerous toxins. And at home, their diet consists of other insects, which means that the amount of poison gradually decreases, and the second or third generation of frogs generally loses toxicity.
In the terrarium it is necessary to maintain high temperature and humidity. The difference between day and night heating is from 26 to 20 ° С.
Young frogs are fed daily, adult frogs can be fed every other day. Insects for feeding should be as diverse as possible. It would be useful to add mineral supplements to live food.
The bottom of the frog's dwelling is covered with fine gravel to hold water, lined with a mixture of peat, tree bark and moss on top. Moisture must seep through the bedding.
Interesting facts
You should know that not all poison dart frogs are poisonous. Many have bright colors - the usual frightening imitation.
The venom of small amphibians is not used to obtain food. They hunt, like the swamp frogs familiar to us, with the help of the tongue. The size of the prey can be very different - the main thing is that the insect fits in the mouth.
A brightly colored frog (you can see a photo of them in the article) moves along the trunks, branches and leaves of trees thanks to special adaptations on the pads of its paws. They secrete a sticky substance that can keep the amphibian on any, even the most slippery, surface.
In captivity, colorful frogs can live up to seven years, which is quite a lot for such small representatives of amphibians. If ideal conditions are created, their life can be extended up to ten years.
