Poison dart frogs draw attention to their toxicity and inedibility with their bright warning coloration. The golden poison dart frog secretes a skin secretion that contains one of the strongest known animal poisons. The frogs absorb the basic substances for the skin toxins through their food, such as mites, ants and beetles. Their toxins remain unchanged in the frogs' bodies or are converted into other toxic substances. The skin poison of some species, including the golden poison dart frog, is so strong that indigenous peoples use the poison to hunt with arrows.
The poison dart frogs exhibit a special reproductive behavior. They lay their eggs in damp places on land, after which the male takes care of the clutch. As soon as the tadpoles hatch, the male takes the young on his back and transports them to a suitable waterhole.
| Systematics |
frogs, tree-climbing frogs |
|
| Habitat |
rainforest up to 200 meters above sea level |
|
| Way of life |
diurnal, ground- and tree-dwelling, solitary |
|
| Feeding |
ants, insects |
|
| Weight |
6 g |
|
| Body length |
up to 47 mm |
|
| Clutch (spawn) |
15 to 30 eggs, cares for brood |
|
| Stage in spawn |
11 days |
|
| Stage as tadpole |
55 days |
|
| Use |
arrow venom for hunting, pet trade |
|
| Current population |
still common within a very small distribution area, but declining. |
|
| At Zoo Zurich since |
1996 |
|
Sponsors
|
K. Bührmann, Urdorf |
|
D. Müller, Schaffhausen |
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N. Künzli, Winterthur |
|
L. Widmer, Kloten |
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N. + A. Bovet, Neuchâtel |
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M. Sutter, Regensdorf |
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K. + M. Michel, Hofstetten ZH |
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B. Schläpfer, Winterthur |
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M. M. Märki, Männedorf |
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M. Kalt, Glattfelden |
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N. Knauer, Urdorf |
|
E. Keller, Winterthur |
|
V. Heuberger, Lachen SZ |
|
M. Zuchart, Schwerzenbach |
|
U. Kaufmann, Schönenberg |
|
F. Johannes, Russikon |
