Poison dart frogs | |
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Dendrobates azureus (top) and Dendrobates leucomelas | |
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Family: | Dendrobatidae Cope, 1865
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Distribution of Dendrobatidae (in black) |
Poison dart frog is the common name of a group of frogs in the family Dendrobatidae. They are native to Central and South America.
Unlike many frogs, these are active during the day. They often have brightly-coloured bodies, which act as warning colouration. All dendrobatids are at least somewhat toxic. In the wild, frogs of different species and in different places may have very different levels of toxicity. Many species are critically endangered.
Poison dart frogs are poisonous because they eat ants and other small insects that have toxins in their bodies. If an animal eats the frog, it will become very sick.