Poison Dart Frogs
Poison Dart Frogs can differ in size, color, and design. They can be gold, green, red, copper, blue, yellow or black but, it depends on where they live. These frogs can live in the tropical forests of Costa Rica to Brazil.
Where most poison dart frogs live
Characteristics:
- These frogs can vary in color and pattern. They can have bright colors and elaborate designs.
- They can live for more than ten years.
- Their size varies from 1.5 centimeters to 6 centimeters.
- Live in the rain forest.
"One of the smallest but most powerful amphibians caught by us in Guyana was the poison arrow frog. These are small tree frogs, each measuring perhaps an inch and a half long, and decked out in the most wonderful colours and patterns. There are several species, and they might be red and gold striped on a cream background, or any other combination of colours. They are very lovely little things, and a jam jar full of them looks more like a mass of highly-coloured sweets than live creatures.
To the Indian tribes these little frogs are most useful. They catch a number and put them close to a fire. As soon as the frogs start to become hot they exude a kind of slime from their bodies, which the Indians scrape off and collect. This slime prepared in special way, is a most potent poison, and the Indians use it to dip the tips of their arrows in. Thus, when the arrow strikes an animal - even a quite powerful one, like a wild pig - the poison works very rapidly and kills the beast. So, for the Indians, each of these little tree frogs is a miniature poison factory in itself, and whenever they need fresh material for their arrows they go off into the forest and collect a number of the frogs from which to manufacture it."
--THE NEW NOAH © Gerald Durrell 1955
To the Indian tribes these little frogs are most useful. They catch a number and put them close to a fire. As soon as the frogs start to become hot they exude a kind of slime from their bodies, which the Indians scrape off and collect. This slime prepared in special way, is a most potent poison, and the Indians use it to dip the tips of their arrows in. Thus, when the arrow strikes an animal - even a quite powerful one, like a wild pig - the poison works very rapidly and kills the beast. So, for the Indians, each of these little tree frogs is a miniature poison factory in itself, and whenever they need fresh material for their arrows they go off into the forest and collect a number of the frogs from which to manufacture it."
--THE NEW NOAH © Gerald Durrell 1955
