Size: Length; 3-5cm. Weight; 3g.

Habitat and Distribution: Rainforest floor and wet tree trunks and roots in northern South America i.e. Venezuela, northern Brazil, Guyana and south eastern Colombia.

Age: 5-7 years in the wild and 10-15 in captivity.

Groups and Breeding: These frogs lead a solitary life except when breeding. In fact they are remarkably territorial and will defend their territory through a buzzing noise and belly-to-belly wrestling!

Males find the best place for the female to lay her eggs and will attract her with a loud chirping or trilling sound. The female then lays the eggs (often on the underside of leaves of bromeliads so that when they hatch they fall straight into the water collected at the base), and once he has fertilised the eggs, it is the males’ job to keep the eggs moist, protected and rotated so that they have enough oxygen. Eggs hatch after 10-14 days. After 70-90 days they are fully metamorphosed into frogs and they are fully mature by 1 year – 18 months.

Diet: Ants, termites, tiny beetles, crickets, and other small insects and spiders.

• The bright coloration of this frog is used as a warning of danger or distastefulness to potential predators. These frogs produce toxic chemicals in glands in their skin. These poisons serve dual purposes in that they prevent the frog being eaten by producing a numb or burning sensation in any predators and also protect the frogs’ skin from bacteria and fungi. Although the toxins from some Poison Dart Frogs are used on the darts of native Indians, this frog’s poison is not nearly strong enough.
• All wild Poison Dart Frogs get their poison from the food that that they eat (certain ants, millipedes, coccinellid beetles etc), in captivity, this species is usually fed on fruit flies, crickets and other non-toxic insects, hence nearly all individuals in captivity have lost their toxicity.
• There are some reports of male Poison Dart Frogs protecting their eggs in their mouth and also of them physically transporting the tadpoles to water once hatched.
• Although a female will only lay 2-12 eggs in any single clutch, she can lay up to 1000 eggs in one breeding season.
• These frogs have adhesive pads on their toes and fingertips, which help them to stick to plant surfaces, to climb and to cling.
• During the dry season this frog aestivates- which is what snails do in dry, hot weather and is very similar to hibernating.