The Poison Dart Frog

The Poison Dart Frog, also called the Poison Frog, Dart Frog, or the Poison Arrow Frog, is of the Dendrobatidae family. Poison Dart Frogs are tiny frogs native to Central and South America, and are some of the most beautiful of the South American Rainforest's animals.

Poison Dart Frogs got there name because South American Indians, used the secretion from the frogs to coat the tips of blow darts, used for hunting and warfare. All Dart Frogs contain some poisonous secretion, however of over 175 species of poison frogs, only three are toxic enough for these uses.

As discovered by scientists, the Poison Dart Frog can not manufacture any of the toxins, that they defend themselves with. Instead they extract potential alkaloids from alkaloid rich ants, termites, centipedes, tiny beetles and other invertebrates. When the bugs are eaten toxins are passed from the bug to the frog, then collected in glands in the frog's skin.

The most toxic of the frogs are the Golden Poison Frog. This is also the favorite to use among the Native Americans. The Indians would use waxy leaves to pick up the frog and dip their blow darts into the frog's skin secretion. Just a tiny drop can kill small birds and other small animals the Indians hunted for food.

The Golden Poison Frog is no larger than a bottle cap, and can supply enough poison for up to fifty darts, with the dart poison remaining active for up to a year. This species of frog yields enough toxin at any given time, to kill between eight and twenty adult humans.

The Poison Dart Frogs ability to resist, store and manipulate toxins, as well as its role in the food chain, are among the most important of the food chain evolutions discoveries. Biologist believe that the frogs must have developed a resistance to the toxins when using the ants as a food source. The ability for the frog to digest the toxins allowed them to use an otherwise untouched food source.

The Dart Frog is vile tasting, and for the most part dead when ingested, they have no natural predators. Not having any natural predators makes it to where the frogs are not bothered by the close presence of large animals, humans included.

In captivity, the poison Dart Frog has a lifespan of around twelve, plus years. Frogs that have been bred in captivity are fed cultured insects, such as fruit flies and very small crickets, that are not rich in alkaloids, therefore these frogs do not produce poisons. Frogs that have been captured and brought into captivity gradually lose their toxicity for years.

Depending on the species of frog, the age and sex, they can be very small, ranging in size from two centimeters, like the Strawberry Poison Dart Frog, to the larger three inch Dyeing Poison Frog.

Many, but not all, Poison Dart Frogs come in a variety of bright colors such as red, orange, yellow, blue, green and black. Other animals recognize these brighter colors as a danger sign, and stay away.

While most frog species are nocturnal, Poison Dart Frogs are active during the day, this is when there colorful bodies can be seen the best and avoided. Frogs are very social and are often in pairs or small groups.

Observing the nature of a frog is the best way to determine the sex. Male frogs will usually make a mating call after a heavy misting with water, or eating. Before maturity the sex can sometimes be determines as well. In males the backs usually slope down with less of a break than a females. Females usually show a bigger break and are rounder.

Their toes are another way to tell the sex of some species. In some species the females have narrow toes all the way down, while the male toe's are wide at the end.

Male frogs will wrestle over territories, while the females will fuss over the best egg laying spots. Courting frogs will caress and nudge one another with their forearms and chins.

While most species lay their eggs near the forest floor, some poison frogs lay their eggs directly into the water, and still continue to look after the eggs and tadpoles. The Blue Poison Frog has a tendency to eat their siblings as tadpoles, therefore the patents have to find separate water sources for each individual hatch ling.

Also unique among amphibians is that the Poison Frogs are very involved with their young and put a lot of energy into caring for their eggs and offspring. The males guard the eggs until they hatch, the tadpoles then wiggle to his or the female's back and taken to a water source.

The frog incubation period is between two to four weeks, and another six to twelve weeks for a tadpole to metamorphose into an adult frog, depending on the species. Between two to thirty eggs are laid, again depending on the species.

Scientists have found that the toxins in the Poison Dart Frog, particularly those in the Gold Poison Dart Frog, can benefit man. A laboratory has isolated a certain component found in their toxins and developed a new painkiller from the substance. In honor of the frogs it has been named "Epibatidine", and is two hundred times more effective then morphine, without all of the bad side effects.

The Poison Dart Frog is threatened by overcollecting of the species and their rain forest habitats are rapidly shrinking. In Central and South America, a recently identified disease has reduced the frog population.

sources:

http://www.sandiegozoo.org/animalbytes/t-poison_frog.html

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