Black & Green Poison-Arrow Frog

It seems that quite a few people know about poison arrow frogs and there is a great deal of interest in keeping them as pets. There are about 170 species of poison arrow frogs, each beautifully coloured from green and black to azure blue. At present, there are no species of poison arrow frog that are threatened with extinction, but as with all tropical animals, their habitats are endangered.

Poikilotherms: Poison arrow frogs are Poikilothermic which means the temperature of their body is affected by the temperature of their surroundings. Sometimes people refer to this as being "cold blooded".If the temperature falls, the frogs become sluggish; if it gets warm, they become very active. Acute extremes of temperature could kill the frogs, e.g. freezing or boiling, but his would be unlikely to occur.

Distribution: Costa Rica, Panama, N.W. Colombia

Habitat: Tropical rainforest. The frogs live on the ground, always near water, but they are not aquatic.

Breeding: Seasonal breeders. Females lay clutches of 5 - 20 eggs on a smooth flat surface inside a male's territory. The male then fertilises the eggs and tends them, keeping them moist, while they develop. When the tadpoles hatch they cling, one at a time, to the male frog's back so that he can move them to a small pool of water.

Mating Behaviors: Poison arrow frogs do fight, especially the males, over territory. They are like little Sumo wrestlers and try to throw each other off balance. Males attract females by calling to them, using a throat sac to inflate and resonate the chirping or buzzing sounds. Similar sounds are made to warn other males frogs that a territory is occupied. Once a female comes in sight, the male tries to lead her to his selected leaf where, if she is agreeable, mating takes place and she lays her eggs. The males are slightly smaller than the females, but you would have to see a male and female side-by-side to be able to tell. Only the males have the vocal sacs and there are one or two slits at the back of the throat where air is forced into the sac.

Food: tiny insects such as flies, maggots, caterpillars, beetles etc.

Points of interest: Active during the daytime (diurnal). Their bright, contrasting colours warn of potent nerve toxins produced by glands in the skin.The name originates in the fact that some South American Indians use the poison to tip their hunting arrows. One small frog can produce enough poison to tip up to 50 arrows. The poison is completely harmless when taken orally.