Frogs are an important part of many ecosystems around the world. Most of them are beautiful with their amazing coloration on their body. However, their beautiful colours depict something else. The bright colours are usually used by the frogs to warn their predators that they are poisonous.
Let’s get to know the poisonous frogs in the world. They have deadly toxins than can even stop the boldest human in their tracks. Here they are, the 6 poisonous frogs in the world you need to avoid!
- Golden Poison Dart Frog
Golden poison dart frog is really popular for being the most toxic of all poisonous frogs. It is perhaps the most poisonous animal in the world too! Its scientific name, Phyllobates terriblis, tells us that these small creatures can be very terrible and incredibly harmful. Poison dart frog is also listed as one of the smallest but deadliest animals in the world!
The poison it carries is derived from its diet. The average wild golden poison frog is able to produce enough poison to kill 10 humans. Unfortunately, despite its powerful self-defense, this animal is listed as one of the endangered species due to habitat loss and pollution.
Do you know that there are a lot of endangered animals in the world? Read more about endangered animals in the Amazon rainforest and endangered animals of Southeast Asia.
- Blue Poison Dart Frog
This blue poison dart lives in the southern Suriname and some areas in Brazil. All the members of this species have brilliant blue color, but each individual is unique by its black spots. This frog is so poisonous that it can cause harm or death in humans.
Similar to the other poison frog species, they lose their toxicity due to an altered diet in captivity. Surprisingly, blue poison dart frogs are popular as pets.
- Phantasmal Poison Frog
This species of frog is not only beautiful, but it is extremely tiny. It only grows about one half inch to one and a half inches in length. However, don’t get fooled by its tiny size. The phantasmal poison frog carries enough poison to kill an adult human.
This poisonous frog resides in tropical and subtropical forests of Ecuador. Unfortunately, due to habitat degradation, this species of frog now is in endangered status. Scientists have looked into the possibilities of using epibatidine, the potent poison of this frog.
They want to develop a non-addictive painkiller that is more powerful than morphine. However, they also determine that epibatidine may also be too toxic to humans.
- Strawberry Poison Dart Frog
Though it is not the most poisonous frog out there, the strawberry poison dart frog is the most toxic of its genus, Oophaga. The species is usually bright red, but there are somewhere between 15 and 30 different color morphs, ranging from completely red to a blue coloration to green with black spots.
The bright color of this species depicts a warning that they are poisonous. Similar to the other dart frogs, the strawberry poison dart frog derives its toxicity from its diet, which mostly consists of ants and termites.
- Harlequin Poison Frog
This frog species may sound fun and lovely, but don’t get deceived by its name. Harlequin poison frog is able to produce a poison called histrinicotoxins. This poison is different from the highly toxic poison produced by other frogs, such as the golden poison dart frog.
Despite the fact that it is less toxic, it doesn’t mean that this is safe. The poison this frog produces were desired for their use in making blowgun darts. This is also an interest to scientists as its poison has unique properties and its effect to the body.
This frog species can be found in Columbia, but now its status is critically endangered. Some animals look fine, but they hide their skills to kill other animals, even humans. Here they are the innocent-looking animals that are deadly.
- Kokoe Poison Dart Frog
The kokoe poison dart frog is considered the third most toxic member of the Phyllobates genus, behind the golden poison dart frog and the black-legged poison frog. This species is also the tiniest of all three. Despite its tiny size, it has the ability to sing.
It has mating call which is called loud and bird-like. The males, instead of wrestling each other for showing dominance, they will simply face off and call loudly until one of them backs down. However, don’t get lured by their song as these frogs store batrachotoxin in glands in their skin, and it is fatal to humans.
- Lovely Poison Frog
Are they lovely? Of course not! The lovely poison frog is also popular as the striped poison dart frog. This is known to be one of the least toxic frogs belonging to the Phyllobates genus. However, it is still the most toxic genus of poison frogs.
It looks may be lovely, but it is deadly for sure. The toxin it holds can cause heart failure in predators which try to eat it. This lovely poison frog can be found in Central America, Costa Rica, central Panama, and southeastern Nicaragua.
Reading fun facts about animals is fun! You may also read venomous animals in the world and scary animal over the world, watch out.