Tree frog. Pumilio dart frog or "dart frog" (lat. Dendrobates pumilio) Acquisition and price of dart frog

, French Guiana , Guyana , Guyana and Suriname . They mainly occupy the lower tiers of rainforests.

Natural populations and conservation measures

Due to the growing commercial demand for keeping these bright and attractive animals as pets, as well as due to the natural limitation of the distribution of certain morphological forms in their natural habitat, natural populations of frogs may decline and even disappear, thereby violating the ecological natural balance. Strict government measures to ban and regulate trapping - the removal of animals from countries - can help in the conservation of the species. Such measures were taken in Suriname and the endangered population of lat. Dendrobates has been restored. Restrictions on the export of animals have been introduced in many regions where these animals live, however, there is a private poaching of frogs for export and sale both through the zoo trading network of economically successful countries, and through individual small private business representative offices and firms. Some wild animals are sold under the guise of a domestic population or in the form of babies obtained from a wild form of an animal caught during the mating season. At present, due to the successful keeping and breeding of spotted poison dart frogs at home and in specialized farms, the threat of extinction of animals in natural conditions has been reduced.

Deforestation due to the development of industrial and agricultural production also affects the decline in populations of poison dart frogs.

Description of the species

Body shape is normal. The size of an adult is about 5 - 6 cm, but occasionally there are representatives of some variational forms, the size of which reaches 8 cm. There are no membranes between the toes. The tips of the fingers of the front paws are equipped with small suction cups. The colors are vibrant and varied. In general, females are larger than males.

Subspecies and variations

Behavioral Features

Frogs are diurnal terrestrial near streams and small bodies of water or puddles, and very rarely climb above a fallen tree or small stump. Only the "Orange" or "Black and Yellow Giant" (lat. Dendrobates tinctorius Giant Orange ) are located on trunks in the crown of trees - at a height of one and a half to fifteen meters.

Frogs move in short dashes with frequent jerks and "bows"; jump rarely and over very short distances. Crawling vertically, they press against the surface with the belly and hips of the inner part of the hind legs - thereby holding on to weight.

Male Dendrobates tinctorius alanis at the Zurich Zoo

Nutrition

reproduction

Like all poison dart frogs and leaf climbers, they breed on the ground and then carry the tadpoles on their own backs to a nearby body of water or to bromeliad leaves filled with rainwater. Eggs are laid in damp places directly on the ground or a leaf of a plant and taken care of until the tadpoles hatch.

Spawning is seasonal; as a rule, in the amount of 15 to 30 eggs. One of the parents (usually a male) is constantly near the masonry, periodically wetting it with water and mixing it with its hind legs. The females may eat the clutch. The hatched tadpoles are attached to the back of the parent and travel with him to a suitable body of water. In this position, they can remain for up to seven days, feeding on the remnants of the yolk. The development of tadpoles lasts 14-18 days, after which the young frogs switch to a terrestrial way of life.

Frogs are an increased focus for pet lovers in terrariums due to their diversity and attractiveness. Bright coloration, diurnal activity, interesting breeding behavior make you forget about their toxicity - you just need to prevent the frogs from escaping and communicate with them in rubber gloves. Young individuals and the new "home generation" are not so dangerous to human life.

For keeping frogs, a terrarium is used, which ensures the preservation of humidity and heat, as well as good ventilation. The volume of the terrarium is determined not by the requirements of the animals, but by the size of the plants that must be in it. It is desirable to provide for the possibility of adjusting the air flow and ventilation. The air temperature fluctuates around 27°C during the day and 21°C at night.

Plants for the terrarium can be both ground and epiphytic: tradescantia, selaginella, various bromeliads with smooth non-thorny leaves. Epiphytes are placed in a position convenient and accessible to frogs. The accumulating water in the axils of the leaves of bromeliads serves the animals not only as a “bath”, but also as a “maternity room”.

When breeding frogs in terrarium conditions, a Petri dish is used, which is covered with coconut shell, and then the eggs in the cup are removed to a separate wet place (plastic vessel) for further artificial incubation. Before pecking, caviar in a cup is moistened with droplets of freshly settled water from

The English everyday name of the dart frogs, translated into Russian, sounds like "poison arrow frogs." Indeed, many animals of this family were used by the Indians of South America to prepare poison, and, as some authors point out (perhaps, however, exaggerating). one tiny frog is enough to lubricate the tips of 20 arrows, turning them into a deadly weapon - from the slightest scratch. struck by such an arrow, the jaguar dies. The terrible toxicity of poison dart frogs in most cases is due to food: eating small ants and termites in nature, poison dart frogs accumulate their poison.

There are about 120 species in the Dendrobatidae family that live in rainforests from Central America to southern Brazil, but the most popular are the species of the genus Dendrobates directly - there are about fifty of them. Most of these amphibians are small in size - 1.5-3 cm and are painted in bright warning colors, which allows predators to notice them from afar and bypass them ahead of time - perhaps. there are no animals capable of eating these frogs. Coloring is blue, green, red, gold, striped, polka dots - come up with whatever combinations you like - among the poison dart frogs there is almost any option. Besides. many species have a huge number of forms that differ from each other, like snow from tomato paste.

Let's take a closer look at the blue dart frog...

Dendrobates azureus (Blue dart frog) is one of the most popular poison dart frogs, it strikes with amazing beauty, the dark blue background is covered with small black dots. In low light, the blue dart frog looks dark blue, and in bright light it begins to literally phosphorize. maximum length 45 mm, males are usually smaller than 40 mm. Males are characterized by noticeably larger discs at the ends of the fingers of the forelimbs. The main color tone is cobalt blue, slightly lighter on the sides and belly. The upper side of the body is densely dotted with black dots and small rounded spots.

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The Blue Arrow frog lives in a small area of the mountain system in Sipiliwini savann, in Suriname, on the border of Brazil and French Guiana, where it lives in well-preserved forests along the banks of streams at an altitude of 300-400 m above sea level. The main places of distribution of representatives of this species in nature are heaps of stones along the banks of forest rivers and streams.

There is some more information that this species can still live in Brazil, but so far, this information has not been confirmed. So in Suriname, this species is quite numerous, which was clearly facilitated by the ban of local authorities on catching these frogs. It is this species of poison dart frogs that lives in large groups, the number of which is sometimes up to 50 individuals.

Females of the blue dart frog spawn on the banks or in caves located near the water. After the tadpoles are born after 12-16 days, the parents immediately transport them to the nearest body of water. The transformation of a small tadpole into an adult can last from 80 to 100 days.

The fact that the blue dart frog is poisonous is warned by its bright color. The poison secreted by the skin glands protects the frog not only from potential enemies, but also from bacteria and fungi. It is worth noting that, compared with the terrible leaf climber (lat. Phyllobates terribilis), the blue dart frog is not as toxic.

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Due to its relatively small habitat, the blue dart frog is endangered. The main danger for this poison dart frog is the active destruction of forests by local residents. Did you know that more than 32% of amphibians, half of which are amphibians, are listed as endangered by the IUCN?

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Interestingly, the blue dart frog, like other representatives of this family, is a fairly popular animal in zoos, which visitors come to see. The Smithsonian National Zoological Park, which is no exception, is happy to open its doors to many lovers of tiny creatures.

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A terrarium 60 * 50 * 60 or more is suitable for keeping this species; in a spacious terrarium, several pairs of representatives of this species (5-6 individuals) can be kept, provided that a sufficient number of shelters are provided. It is better that the terrarium has caves for shelter, as well as a waterfall for creating high humidity in the terrarium. Coconut soil or jungle substrate is used as bedding, as well as coconut crumbs mixed with leaf litter. Dart frogs move in steps or small leaps, and their weight is no more than 3-6 grams, so they do not spoil plants in terrariums. But fresh flowers, such as: orchids, bromeliads, phytonias, small ferns, vriesia, thailandsia, will only decorate your terrarium. in the terrarium, it is necessary to organize drinking bowls or small reservoirs in which snags or stones can be placed so that the frogs can easily get to land. It is strongly not recommended to equip the terrarium for poison dart frogs with fog installations. One of the advantages of poison dart frogs is that they are diurnal animals, so they must be provided daylight 10-12 hours a day, Sun Glo lamps and preferably Repti Glo2 are suitable for this. A suitable temperature for Dendrobates leucomelas is 26C-28C and at night 20C-22C. To heat the terrarium, you need to install a plate heater or heater cable on the bottom or back terrarium wall. It is advisable to equip the terrarium with thermostats, a watering system and an air blower that are connected via a time relay, this will facilitate the care of your pets. For poison dart frogs, long-term hunger strikes are unacceptable; food poison dart frogs should be fed once a day. Excellent food for poison dart frogs is Drosophila fly, mini-tormentor, springtail, dwarf woodlice, wax moth, crickets 1-7 days old (cricket dust). Cleaning in the terrarium is necessary once a month

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Pedigree of poison dart frogs, common species and their characteristics, advice on content and menu for domestic frogs, purchase and price.

In addition to their extraordinary appearance, which immediately catches the eye and remains in memory, these small amphibians are also notable for the fact that they do not require increased attention from you, a large amount of living space and do not show moodiness at all during feeding. In addition, they are quite quiet, which is also their considerable advantage.

But before you bring this extraordinary living specimen into your home, it is better to get to know him better.

Origin and home ranges of poison dart frogs

Looking at these amazing frogs, one involuntarily gets the impression that these unique creatures came to us from a distant “somewhere”. And if their previous place of residence is not another planet in the solar system, then the fact that the frog has just left the page of a book with vivid illustrations is for sure. But people involved in science do not think so at all, in the process of studying such bright frogs, they classified these representatives of the animal kingdom into the amphibian class, the tailless order and the poison dart frog family. The discovery of these small multicolored "peepholes" dates back to around 1865.

If we talk about the native lands of poison dart frogs, then they differ depending on one or another type of frog. And in the most diverse corners of our globe, over 170 species of these peculiar amphibians live.

Types of poison dart frogs and their characteristic features

sacred dart frog

Dendrobates leucomelas is a very original amphibian that can be found in various places in distant Venezuela, sometimes they travel in the direction of Brazil. As for the area where they prefer to settle, it can be dry hot plains, almost devoid of vegetation and tropical forests, where it rains almost all year round, they do not bypass mountainous locations, these cranks feel absolutely comfortable at a height 800–1000 m above sea level.

In their native territories, these cute creatures spend most of their time on the surface of the earth. In the daytime, when it is especially hot, the frogs try to hide in more shady, humid places. If these little "animals" live in drier places, then they escape from the intense heat on the banks of various reservoirs. They can also get along in the depths of rocky debris, old fallen trees and their rhizomes. Such amphibians do not really like to be alone, therefore, they most often unite in the average size of the group.

By their nature, dart frogs are very poisonous creatures, but their specific glands produce their own secret, only when the frogs are in any danger, if there is none for a long time, then this natural “weapon” tends to lose its abilities, this happens, if the amphibian moves to a safe home environment.

In search of food, these small amphibians usually go out in the afternoon, and sometimes after dusk. Ants, termites, flies and other small insects are preferred as food.

As for the external appearance of this representative of the world fauna, we can say that this is a very small tailless one, the length of its miniature body usually does not exceed 40 mm. Male and female individuals do not differ in size from each other; it is possible to notice sexual differences when considering the limbs of poison dart frogs. In the male half, discs at the fingertips are more developed.

The most remarkable feature of these toads is, perhaps, the color of their body, it is simply impossible not to notice it, and later it cannot be confused with anyone, it is so beautiful and contrasting. The main color of the color is jet black, while the skin of the sacred frog is slightly matte, on this basic background you can easily notice an amazing ornament, which is formed by a large number of the most varied figures - stripes, circles, lines and spots. These elements of the pattern are painted in yellow, orange, and sometimes slightly greenish hues. In some individuals, the pattern on the body is more modest and less conspicuous. It consists of a one-color mesh pattern, which is represented by perforated stripes drawn in the transverse direction. The projection of the abdominal cavity is always painted in one tone, in this case, deep black.

tricolor poison dart frog

Epipedobates anthonyi - these representatives of the genus of tailless frogs are distinguished by very tiny body parameters. The length of their small body does not exceed 20–25 mm. In this species, sexual dimorphism is also expressed in size - male individuals are usually much smaller than female poison dart frogs.

The color of their skin is also very remarkable. The main tone of the color is bright red. The area of the spinal column is represented by a relatively wide band of yellow color. On the lateral surfaces of the body, rows of small white blotches are immediately striking, which from afar resemble a single, relatively wide strip, which is located longitudinally. The paws are also covered with a large number of small spots.

These spotted toads honor such South American states as Ecuador and Peru as their homeland. They are very fond of occupying locations for permanent residence high above sea level, sometimes this height exceeds 1500 m. Most often, these colorful frogs are found in tropical and subtropical forests. At the same time, each individual individual chooses the air humidity for his life, some prefer wooded areas with a very high humidity coefficient, while others, on the contrary, give dry air. They can also be seen near water bodies, swamps and even agricultural plots.

The tricolor poison dart frog does not really tolerate the scorching sun, for this reason it goes in search of food either early in the morning or waits for the second half of the day. The basis of his diet is made up of a variety of insects, the main thing is that they are small.

Spotted dart frog

Dendrobates tinctorius Cobalt - this inhabitant of the southern part of Suriname prefers to choose tropical forests for his residence, it is desirable that there are coastal zones with large abundant vegetation nearby. It also inhabits Brazil and Guyana.

This native of the family of tree frogs received a very unusual, colorful color of his skin as a gift from mother nature. If you contemplate the rather small body of this handsome man, it is not possible to single out any basic tone of color. All parts of his body are individual. The head is painted in yellowish shades, there are stripes on the dorsal part of the body, presented in the same color as the head. The limbs of this frog have a noble blue color, and the lateral parts of the body are blue, and some individuals have a beautiful turquoise hue.

This bright amphibian is active throughout the daylight hours, it is not afraid of either high ambient temperatures or the direct rays of the hot sun, so if the animal is hungry, it will not wait for the sun to turn a little, the toad boldly goes hunting at lunchtime.

As their dwelling, the rhizomes of large trees usually act. The daily menu of these amphibians is quite diverse, they can eat both small insects and plant foods, they really like various types of algae.

Amazonian poison dart frog

Dendrobates ventrimaculatus - looking at the name of this living creature, it is not difficult to guess about the places of its natural habitat. Indeed, this frog lives near the northern part of the Amazon and its tributaries, namely in Brazil, Ecuador, Suriname, Guyana, Colombia and even French Guinea.

This rather mobile and active frog is rarely seen "walking" on the ground, usually it spends most of its time high in the trees, between dense foliage. But occasionally they still go hunting on the edges of forests and on the banks of small streams. The basis of the diet of the Amazonian toad is small insects.

Dye dart frog

Dendrobates auratus - if we talk about this representative of the large kingdom of frogs, then we can say that these are amphibians larger than average. Their body grows in length in the range from 3.5 to 5.5 cm. Sexual dimorphism in this species is also noticeable in appearance, females are not only larger than males, but also the shape of their body and muzzle is rounded. The male sex, in turn, is a little slimmer and with a slightly pointed muzzle. In addition, in male poison dart frogs, discs slightly enlarged in volume can be observed on the fingertips.

The appearance of these poison dart frogs can change depending on the environmental conditions where one or another social group of frogs lives. The most common are amphibians, painted in black and green shades, sometimes you can see golden-black toads, bluish-black, brown or green with a rich metallic sheen. A more strict variant of the color, presented in black and white colors, is found near the western part of Costa Rica.

These amphibians with color variability can be found in the wild in the territories of Central and South America, namely in countries such as Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Brazil, Bolivia and many others. Coloring frogs inhabit wooded areas with high humidity. As their own dwelling, these aesthetes are rarely content with the ruins of trees; they prefer hollows already equipped and inhabited by other animals.

This amphibian is very active during the day, she likes a light shade, where it is very warm, but the sun gets there a little less, but she does not like to rest. Looking at these living creatures, one gets the impression that they also know that movement is life. The diet of this type of frog consists exclusively of their flies.

blue dart frog

Dendrobates azureus - these tailless frogs grow no more than 5 cm in length. The basic tone of their color is blue-blue, on the lateral parts of the body and in the projection of the abdomen, it brightens a little. On the skin of the back, you can see a neat pattern, which is formed by many black blotches and medium-sized spots.

The blue dart frog is a native of South America, in its homeland it lives in places where there are large rocky mounds, as well as in coastal locations of small streams and large forest rivers. If all other species of poison dart frogs live in small social groups, then these bluish frogs create entire populations, the number of which sometimes exceeds 100 individuals.

yellow-striped dart frog

Dendrobates truncates This amphibian honors a very small territory near the border of Brazil and French Guiana as its homeland. It is there that he lives comfortably in tropical forests of medium humidity. These striped toads spend most of their free time on the ground. They live in small colonies, in which there are approximately 40-50 individuals. As a dwelling, rocky outcrops are used, which are densely wrapped in shrubs. Favorite locations of yellow-striped frogs are coastal slopes near water bodies.

The appearance of this amphibian is also no less original and colorful. The parameters of the body are average, their body length ranges from 35 to 70 mm, the female sex is usually much larger than the male specimen. On the main coal-black background, long longitudinal stripes are neatly drawn, painted in bright yellow shades.

Before you get such a not very familiar pet, first take care of his personal home, because some of your cohabitants may not really like the fact that a frog “walks” around the house, besides it is poisonous. As a house for such a comrade, horizontal terrariums are ideal, while the tree climbers do not require a very large personal living space.

In this very compact dwelling, it is necessary to cover the floor surface with some kind of substrate; small pebbles would be the best solution. The soil in the frog's dwelling should always be moist, but in no case wet, this can be achieved by spraying daily in the terrarium.

Despite the fact that your friend is used to living in a rather hot climate, in your apartment it is enough for him, the daytime air temperature is within 24-29 degrees, and the night temperature is about 18-20. For this reason, if your house is warm, then you can do without specialized heating devices.

In the personal apartment of your home poison dart frog, you need to have various branches and snags on which your kind of pet will climb, so he will have fun and keep his miniature multi-colored body in good shape.

The presence of vegetation in the terrarium is also mandatory; low plants with relatively large leaves, such as tradescantia or a wide variety of bromeliad varieties, are well suited as a personal frog forest.

Your friend cannot do without clean water, it will be good to make a drinking bowl and a separate small artificial reservoir in the terrarium, in which it is desirable to place pieces of bark or small pebbles, this measure will help your friend easily get out of such a personal pool.

It's also good to make a few small hiding places for your pet so that he can rest in silence and away from prying eyes.

Feeding these colorful exotics at home is not difficult. It is best to purchase food products in the market or in a pet store. Drosophila flies are excellent food for poison dart flies. But sometimes there are some problems with them, since these nimble insects can easily get away from the frog and start living in different parts of your house, which is not very pleasant, so cricket dust, the smallest wood lice, springtails and caterpillar larvae.

It is very important to periodically add vitamin supplements and calcium to the feed, as frogs are susceptible to a number of pathological conditions, which are most often caused by a decrease in the concentration of calcium in their fragile organisms.

These pets will not bring you any inconvenience associated with noise, since they do not know how to emit signals such as “croaking”, only a quiet rattle can be heard from them.

Acquisition and price of a tree climber

If you are on fire with the idea of buying such an exotic friend, then browsing the pages of various online stores, you can see a wide variety of types of toads, it all depends on your preferences, your favorite range of colors, and, of course, on your financial condition. The price for one individual of a poisonous frog ranges from 1,400 to 25,000 rubles.

There are many types of dangerous and poisonous creatures in the natural environment. They use poison for two purposes - for defense and attack.

by the most poisonous frogs are considered dangerous, capable of immediately killing a person with their poison, since their poison is much more toxic than that of a snake. What is the most poisonous frog in the world, what are the most dangerous of them called?

The more beautiful, the more dangerous

In the animal kingdom, often the external beauty of the animal is a kind of danger signal. Their bright appearance, color warns of a threat to life. An example of this are amphibians, which include frogs.

The most poisonous frogs on the planet are endowed with a very beautiful and bright appearance. However, only from one touch to them it is possible to perish. The most dangerous of them live in the forests of South and Central America. Most often they are found in the territory:

Colombia;
Ecuador;
Venezuela;
Guianas.

They live in the green vegetation of the local jungle. Brightly colored reptiles can easily be seen among such vegetation. Unlike other reptile species, they are active during the daytime. At night, poisonous frogs rest. They live mainly in the lowlands, near the banks of streams among the humid tropics.

Beautiful view in this case, serves as a sign terrible danger. Such frogs should not be touched, because their poison is deadly. It is produced in the skin of an amphibious creature and is contained in its mucus. Upon contact with the human skin surface, the nerve endings are blocked. From one touch, a person receives a lethal dose of poison, his organs are poisoned and he dies. General detoxification sometimes leaves a chance for survival. Which of these beautiful frogs is the most dangerous on the planet?

yellow frog

This amphibian is also called the golden frog and it is the most poisonous on the planet. Yellow ones belong to the family of poison dart frogs. These beautiful amphibians are united by a common feature - a deadly poisonous poison that they secrete.

The terrible leafcreeper is endowed with a poison called batrachotoxin. Its dimensions reach 2-4 cm and the limbs are devoid of membranes.

Instead of them, at the ends, the fingers have expanded discs that act as suction cups. Such disks perfectly help the reptile to move along the branches and leaves of vegetation.

Males and females do not differ in size, but only in bright contrasting colors. The frogs are quite active, but only during the daytime. They feed on mites, ants and other small insects. If for 3-4 days the terrible leaf climber remains without food, he may die. Most of them are found in tropical forests. local tribes use their poison to craft arrows. One frog is enough to lubricate several dozen tips.

The spotted dart frog looks amazingly beautiful. The head and body of this bright frog are decorated with dark yellow circles. Black and blue circles are visible on the paws. An amazingly beautiful reptile can have a very different color of its skin. The body size of the spotted poison dart frog does not exceed 3 cm, but this does not prevent him from paralyzing the largest animal with his poison. The worst thing is that the world has not yet come up with an antidote.

The natives of the Amazon, with the help of the poison of the spotted poison dart frog, lubricate arrows for hunting and defense and change the color of feathers in parrots.

blue dart frog

This creature fascinates with its unusual beauty. This species cannot be called small, since the body size is about 5 cm. The body of the frog is covered with beautiful patterns. At the heart of the color is a blue saturated color, over which black dots and stains are scattered. There are very few of them left on earth and now blue poison dart frogs are found only in Suriname. They live in small groups. Since the creatures are terribly poisonous, they have no natural enemies. Reptiles feel confident, because they are untouchable.

Cocoa frog

The tiny coconut frog reaches a size of 2-3 cm, and its weight is slightly more than 1 gram. Such a frog can easily fit in a teaspoon. She lives in Colombia. When the poison of cocoa gets on another animal, it dies in terrible agony. The poison paralyzes the respiratory system. The slightest touch of a tiny reptile causes instant death.

Bicolor Phyllomedusa

In the forests of the Amazon, there is also another type of deadly amphibian. The two-colored phyllomedusa always stands out with its color against the background of vegetation. The upper part of her body is painted in a light green bright color and slightly yellowish. The other side is brown with light spots. It is also called the frog monkey as it can climb anywhere in search of adventure. Its venom leads to hallucinations and severe indigestion.

Caring parents and wonderful hunters

The leaf climber family usually consists of several females and only one male. This develops a sense of ownership in the male, he protects his territory in every possible way. Unlike other reptiles, females do not spawn in water, but on land. Usually she lays 15-30 eggs in moist and dark thickets. This is where her mission ends.

The female leaves and after that the turn of the future father comes. He actively takes care of the offspring:

pour water on them;
guards;
flips with hind legs.

Tadpoles appear after a few days. A caring father moves them on his back to the pond. In the aquatic environment, they develop within 2-3 weeks. After that, small frogs appear, which go to land and begin an independent life.

However, after this, the young live for a long time with their parents or close to them. This period is delayed until the moment when the children start their own families.

Many of us think that keeping such reptiles at home is very dangerous. but in captivity, these "terrible" creatures lose their poisonous properties. This is due to the daily diet of amphibians. Homemade food will not contribute to the accumulation of toxic substances in the frog's body.

In their natural habitat, poison frogs feed on insects that contain dangerous toxins. The diet of domestic frogs consists of other food, so they gradually lose their toxicity.

In captivity, such creatures can live up to 7 years, and in ideal conditions of detention lifetime up to 10 years.

In the humid forests of South and Central America, you can find amazing frogs. Their sizes range from 7 to 1.5 cm. But thanks to the amazing, bright and juicy color, it is impossible not to notice even the smallest representatives of this family.

These beautiful amphibians are called - dart frogs. All of them are united by one common feature: small and large, multi-colored and monophonic, these amphibians are deadly poisonous, and the color that distinguishes them is a warning to the outside world about danger. Let's take a closer look at some of the species.

Blue dart frog

This representative of amphibian poison dart frogs cannot be called small, although its size is less than 5 cm. The blue poison dart frog is a very beautiful frog. Her dark blue body is covered with a variety of black spots and dots that make up a unique pattern. There are few of these beauties left in the natural environment. The only known place where the population has survived is Suriname.

The blue dart frog lives in groups or small groups. Little is known about the behavior of this frog species in nature. They have almost no natural enemies, since the amphibian is very poisonous. This affects the behavior of the group and its confidence in its integrity.

Despite the fact that it is forbidden by law to catch small dangerous beauties, blue poison dart frogs are often found in home collections and in zoo terrariums. It's easy to keep them. It is enough to recreate the warm, humid climate of the homeland and fill the terrarium with greenery and stones. Like all frogs, they feed on small insects.

Spotted poison dart frog

The spotted poison dart frog is one of the most of this family. An amphibian lives in the jungles of Colombia. Its size does not exceed three centimeters, but the poison is able to paralyze a large animal. It is secreted by the skin of this amphibian and is more dangerous than that of And what is the saddest thing - there is no antidote for it.

The indigenous population of South America has long used the poison produced by spotted poison dart frogs for war and hunting. They were smeared with arrowheads to repel an attack or drive away predatory animals.

Representatives of this species are diurnal. Their color variations are very diverse - on dark skin there may be spots of the most unexpected shades: yellow, crimson, blue, and so on.

golden dart frog

Golden dart frogs are also very poisonous. They live in the humid tropical forests of Colombia. They love heat and rain. They live in small groups of 5-6 individuals each. The beautiful rich yellow coloration of the skin warns of severe toxicity. A person can die from touching the baby, because the transmission of nerve impulses throughout the body is disrupted.

red frog

For the first time red was found in the jungles of Costa Rica. It was quite recently, literally in 2011. Her body is orange-red, and her hind legs are dark blue. Dark spots are scattered all over the body. The frog is very toxic. Its poison is dangerous to humans.

In nature, poison dart frogs eat special ants, termites, and worms that contain dangerous toxins. And at home, their diet consists of other insects, which means that the amount of poison gradually decreases, and the second or third generation of frogs generally loses toxicity.

In the terrarium, it is necessary to maintain high temperature and humidity. The difference between day and night heating is from 26 to 20 °C.

Young frogs are fed daily, adult frogs can receive food every other day. Insects for feeding should be as diverse as possible. It would be useful to add mineral supplements to live food.

The bottom of the frog dwelling is covered with fine gravel to hold water, and the top is lined with a mixture of peat, tree bark and moss. Moisture must seep through the bedding.

You should know that not all poisonous frogs are poisonous. Many have bright colors - the usual frightening imitation.

The poison of small amphibians does not serve to obtain food. They hunt, like the swamp frogs familiar to us, with the help of the tongue. In this case, the size of the prey can be very different - the main thing is that the insect fits in the mouth.

A brightly colored frog (you can see a photo of them in the article) moves along the trunks, branches and leaves of trees thanks to special adaptations on the paw pads. They secrete a sticky substance that can hold an amphibian on any, even the most slippery, surface.

In captivity, colorful frogs can live up to seven years, which is quite a lot for such small representatives of amphibians. If ideal conditions are created, their life can be extended up to ten years.