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Golden Poison Dart Frog
Stats
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Eats
Golden poison adult frogs feed during the day, primarily on insects they encounter on the rain forest floor. They eat flies, ants, beetles, spiders, mites, caterpillars, and maggots. Tadpoles eat are omnivores, eating whatever is available, like algae and tiny plants, carrion (dead animals), and even smaller tadpoles.
Lives
Small area of Southwest Coastal Colombia, South America, but scientists are unable to determine exact range because of the risks of surveying near Colombian cartels. Goldens are at elevations of 100-200 meters above sea level in lowland rain forest with steep, rocky terrain, where the forest is broken by a stream. They need a very humid and wet environment so they live in areas that receive about 16 ft of rainfall annually. They prefer a temperature of around 80F and a relative humidity of 80-90%.
Behavior
These frogs spend most of their time on the lowland floor of the rain forest, rarely climbing trees. Both sexes fight in aggressive wrestling matches, females over males, and males over territories.
Description
Golden Dart Frogs come in various colors, primarily shiny metallic gold and minty green. Some have small black marks on their noses and toes. As young frogs, they start off completely black with golden stripes that spread as they grow. The Golden Poison Dart Frog is the most poisonous of all dart frogs. Unique among frogs, they have four unwebbed toes on each foot and a bony, teeth-like plate in their upper jaw!
Did you Know?
Although all poison dart frogs are toxic, only three have poison that is lethal to humans. The golden poison frog is one of these and the most deadly. Its poison is 20 times more toxic than that of other dart frogs. It is reported that an amount of poison equal to 2-3 grains of table salt is enough to cause the death of a human. Perhaps, that is the reason their scientific name means "terrible frog".
How can I Help?
Poison dart frogs, including the Golden Poison Dart Frog, have a lot of major threats including habitat loss with illegal crops, logging, mining, and pollution. If you are looking to get dart frogs for yourself, make sure you are buying from a reputable seller that only sells from captive bred populations.
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