Poison Dart Frogs

Are they poisonous to humans?

First of all, before we even enter the conversation of poisonous to humans we need to talk about something very important.

The difference between POISONOUS and

VENOMOUS!

The key difference between poisonous and venomous lies in the method of toxin delivery:

1. Poisonous:

• Toxins are passive and must be ingested, inhaled, or absorbed through the skin.
• The organism doesn’t actively deliver the toxin.
• Examples: Some frogs, plants, and mushrooms.

1. Venomous:

• Toxins are actively injected into another organism.
• The organism has a specialized mechanism to deliver the toxin, such as fangs or stingers.
• Examples: Snakes, scorpions, and some spiders.

In simpler terms:

• If you bite it and you die, it’s poisonous.
• If it bites you and you die, it’s venomous.

Now that we have a clear understanding of poisonous we need to make you aware of the difference between poison dart frogs in the wild vs captivity.

The difference in toxicity between wild and captive poison dart frogs is primarily due to their diet and environment.

1. Diet-dependent toxicity:

• Wild frogs obtain their toxins from their natural diet, which includes ants, mites, and other small arthropods.
• These prey items contain alkaloids and other chemicals that the frogs accumulate in their skin.
• The frogs don’t produce the toxins themselves but sequester them from their food sources.

1. Captive diet:

• In captivity, poison dart frogs are typically fed a diet of fruit flies, crickets, and other commercially raised insects.
• These insects don’t contain the toxic compounds found in the frogs’ natural prey.
• Without access to these toxins, captive frogs cannot become poisonous.

1. Environmental factors:

• The specific habitat and environmental conditions in the wild may also play a role in toxin production or accumulation.
• Factors like humidity, temperature, and even soil composition could influence the toxicity of the frogs’ prey.

1. Generational effect:

• Captive-bred frogs born to non-toxic parents will not inherit toxicity.
• Even wild-caught frogs will gradually lose their toxicity in captivity as they metabolize existing toxins without replacing them.

1. Species variation:

• Different species of poison dart frogs have varying levels of toxicity in the wild.
• Some species may retain low levels of toxicity in captivity, while others become completely non-toxic.

This dietary dependence on toxicity is an example of sequestration, where an organism uses compounds from its diet for its own defense. It’s a fascinating aspect of these frogs’ biology and highlights the complex relationships between diet, environment, and an animal’s chemical defenses.

Most poison dart frogs in captivity live between 10 to 15 years. In the wild, poison dart frogs typically live 3 to 6 years on average.

In our own experience, we brought home Cyto

our Dendrobates Tinctorius Azure home in

November of 2021 making her only 3 years old.

We hope to have her for many more years of

joyful amphibian keeping!