Poison Tree Frogs


© Jeanette Nelson
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Poison Tree Frogs are part of the family Dendrobatidae. This family consists of around 170 different colours and type of frog.

Poison frogs live in the Southern and Central area of the Rainforests. If the humidity of the rainforest drops to under 80%, the frog may die, needing that extra moisture to survive.

The Poison frogs are known specifically for their colours. Some of these colours include Red, Blue, Orange, Yellow, and Orange. The colours are a warning and a camouflage. The bright colour signifies that this creature is indeed poison and not to be messed with.

The poison of the tree frog comes from the pores of their skin. Some of the native tribes have used this poison to put on the tips of arrows and darts, which is here the frog has gotten it's name. Not all of the frogs' poisons are deadly. One frog though, the Phylobates Terriblis, holds the poison Batrachotoxin. Just one frog holds enough poison to kill up to eight humans.

When a poison tree frog is captured, the effect of it's poison greatly decreases. It is believed that the frog eats a certain type of insect that makes the poison. That is only one belief though.

The poison frogs are one of the tiniest frogs, usually growing to only 1/2 to 2 inches. The frogs sleep during the day under leaves and under the shade of trees. They usually consist of several hundred within a group. They feed on ants, termites, tiny beetles, and other type of bugs.

Most of the poison tree frogs breed continuously throughout the rainy seasons. The male will find a leaf, sit upon in, then began trilling to attract the females attention. Once the female is attracted, the pair will find a suitable place to lay the eggs. The eggs are usually laid in mud, under rocks, are on certain plants. The eggs of the female are fertilized by the male as she deposits them. The eggs are guarded by either of the parents and frequently moistened. Once the eggs are ready to hatch, the female will wiggle her hindend in the eggs to help the tadpoles break free. The tadpoles then squirm onto her back and stick to a mucous that is secreted. The female then takes the tadpoles to a suitable body of water. The tadpoles then are usually separated, because if not, they will eat each other. The process of metamorphosis may take from three weeks to up to several months. After, the new frogs emerges, fully grown, ready to make it's journey into the world.

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