Dyeing poison frogs, Golden dart frogs

Summary

These toxic frogs - also called dart frogs - are brightly coloured, warning potential predators that they are harmful to eat. The species is small, rarely more than 5cm long.  

Poison arrow frogs are so named because the poison from the skins of some species is used by Colombian Indians to smear onto the tips of their blow-pipe darts and arrows to help kill animals when hunting. Some poison arrow frogs are potentially harmful to humans.

Here at Bristol Zoo Gardens we are keeping two species of dart frogs - the blue dyeing poison frogs and the golden dart frogs.

Dietary

These frogs are carnivores. In Bristol Zoo Gardens, the frogs are fed on hatchling crickets, fruit flies and, during the summer, aphids. The frogs' toxins are concentrated in its skin and derived from their diet of ants.

Habitat

Poison arrow frogs are found in the tropical rainforest of Central and South America, in damp leaf litter on the forest floor.

The frogs are a territorial species. Each male defends a small patch of the forest floor where he will chirp and trill while showing off his colours. If his display is good enough he will eventually attract a female into his patch.

Conservation

The dyeing poison frog is listed as Least Concern, while the golden poison arrow frog is listed as Endangered. These frogs are experiencing habitat loss and are being illegally collected for the pet trade.

Bristol Zoo is supporting population numbers by conserving the species in human care.

Dyeing poison frog

IUCN Red List species link

Golden poison arrow frog

IUCN Red List species link

Did you know...

The golden poison dart frog is the most poisonous frog in the world. One frog contains sufficient poison in its skin to kill at least 20 adult humans.

Where to find us at Bristol Zoo

You can find our poison arrow frogs in the Reptile House, near Twilight World and the Aquarium