Poison frog
Amphibians
Some Endangered
facts
Poison frogs eat ants, termites, centipedes and beetles.
description
Strength in numbers
Blue poison frogs live in rainforests in Central and South America. A group of poison frogs is called an "army." Most frog species are nocturnal, but poison frogs are active during the day, when their jewel-colored bodies can best be seen and avoided.
"Hue" knew?
Poison frogs can be yellow, gold, copper, red, green, blue, or black. To other animals, the colors mean "I am poisonous, so don't even think about eating me!"
Darts, not arrows
The Emberá of South America use the frogs' poison to coat the tips of the blow darts they use for hunting. You'll also hear poison frogs called "poison arrow frogs," but that's not accurate. The South American tribes that hunt with arrows usually coat their arrow tips with plant poisons, not frog poisons.
Hands off!
The deadly poison is found in the frog's skin, making it too toxic to touch. The Emberá pick them up with waxy leaves and then dip their blow dart in the frog's skin secretions. Just a tiny drop can kill the birds and small mammals that they hunt for food.
