Poison Dart Frog Habitat

Poison dart frogs are the members of the Dendrobatidae frog family that are highly toxic amphibians. They are brightly colored, which helps warn the predators about their toxicity. The poison dart frogs are extremely small about ½ inch in length. They are brilliantly colored like green, blue, yellow, copper, red or black. They have elaborate designs over their body that is used for aposematic coloration. They also display flash colors when they jump. Let us learn about the fascinating poison dart frog habitat in detail.

Where is the Poison Dart Frog Found?
The poison dart frog habitat is in the rain forest regions. It is found jumping up and down the rain forest floor in moist and shady areas. They are found in the rainforests of Central America and South America. They are also found on a few Hawaiian islands like Oahu, where they were introduced in 1932. The other poison dart frog habitats are Ecuador, Venezuela, French Guyana, Peru, Panama, Costa Rica, Bolivia and Columbia.

The Dendrobatidae auratus is found on the Pacific Coast of southern Costa Rica to northern Columbia. It is also found on the Caribbean coast of southern Nicaragua to Columbia and the island of Tobago. Dendrobatidae tinctorius is found in Suriname, French-Guiana and Guyana. The D. tinctorius species is also found in a few areas in Brazil.

You will find D. auratus in the wet tropical rainforests at a depth of 2,600 feet or below, near a pool or stream. You will also find them in the secondary forests and agricultural areas. D.tinctorius lives in rainforests areas, with that of elevations up to 1,300 feet. They are found on the rainforests floor near water streams.

Poison Dart Characteristics
There are over 100 species of poison dart frogs that have different colors and body patterns. You will find black and green species with black spots. The blue jeans frog or strawberry frog are red with blue legs. The yellow banded species have beautiful black and yellow stripes painted over their body.

Although, one of natures unique creature with striking beauty, these frogs are poisonous creatures. The toxicity and alkaloid level are associated with their beautiful, vibrant colors. This becomes detrimental to the predators, as they can compute that these creatures are poisonous.

Poison Dart Frog Diet
Poison dart frogs diet consist of spiders and insects like ants and termites. They use their long stick tongue to capture their prey. They like to feed on ants and termites that are found abundantly on the forest floor. Poison dart frogs are also raised in captivity like zoos and fed crickets daily.

Poison Dart Frog Reproduction
Poison dart frogs go through an elaborate mating ritual. The male frogs use a low shrill sound to attract the females and after the courtship the females lay dozens of eggs on leaves. The slimy eggs are covered with a gelatinous matter that prevents them from decay.

The eggs take about two weeks to hatch and once the tadpoles are developed they swim onto the males back. They are attached to the male through the mucus secretions and are carried by the father to a suitable location for further development. They are dropped off in small pools of water, water collected in tin cans, rubber tires, and even water collected in bromeliads. After a period of about 3 months, the tadpoles metamorphose into a frog.

Poison dart frogs secretions are used by some Amerindian tribes to poison their darts. Thus, they are also called poison arrow frogs. There are about three species of poison dart frogs that are dangerous to humans. Of these Phyllobates terribilis (golden arrow frog) is the most dangerous to humans. It is interesting to note that poison dart frogs are not poisonous in captivity. Studies have found that the frogs eat a specific arthropod and some other insects in the wild, that gives them their toxicity.

The only known predator of the poison dart frog is the Liophis epinephelus, commonly known as Crown Ground Snake. This snake is found to be resistant to the frog's poison and therefore manages to eat the frog.

This was a little information about poison dart frogs habitat and facts. There are few species of frogs that may soon be put in endangered species list. This is a very sad case, because their habitat is being destroyed and therefore loss of rainforests is making many species endangered, including the poison dart frogs. These are strikingly beautiful creatures that help maintain the balance of the ecosystem. I hope you have learned quite a lot about the poison dart frogs, through this article. The poison dart frog habitat is the rainforests, that should be conserved if you want to hear these creatures make shrill noises and see them jump around displaying their vibrant colors in the wild.