Golden poison frog

Poison dart frogs use their bright, warning colours to signal that they are poisonous and inedible.

The golden poison frog secretes a skin secretion that contains one of the most potent animal venoms known. The frogs obtain the raw materials for their skin toxins from their diet (mites, ants and beetles). These toxins either remain unchanged in the frogs’ bodies or are converted into other toxic substances.

The skin secretion of some species, including the Golden poison frog, is so potent that indigenous peoples use it on their arrows for hunting.

Poison dart frogs exhibit a distinctive reproductive behaviour. The females lay their eggs in damp places on land. The male then takes over the care of the clutch. Once the tadpoles have hatched, the male carries the juveniles on his back to a suitable water source.