 Amphibians
Dart poison frogs inhabit evergreen and tropical rain forests in Central and South America. They are also found in more or less open areas, like savannahs. There are more than eighty different species. These frogs are quite small and rarely reach 1.9 inches. They are often brightly colored with contrasting hues that serve as a warning to predators. Colors include orange, purple, red, yellow, blue and/or green. They produce skin secretions that are in part highly potent nerve toxins. These organic chemicals can cause numbing in a predator's mouth and are very bad tasting. These poisons are used by Amerindians as a dart poison to kill birds and monkeys.
In contrast to most other frogs, these frogs are diurnal (active during the day) and live on or near the ground in leaf litter. There are some species that live twenty feet or higher in tropical trees. Their toe and finger tips have glandular muscular adhesive pads which provide great clinging ability. These frogs give off buzzing, humming, trilling or chirping sounds. They eat ants, termites and other small insects and spiders.
While most frogs lay hundreds or thousands of eggs, dart poison frogs lay only a few that are deposited on leaves or on the ground, close to water. The female will lay 2-12 eggs at a time, but will lay several times during the breeding season. Eggs are guarded and kept wet by the male. After two weeks the larvae are transported to water accumulations on the ground or in plants such as bromeliad funnels, branch forks, hollow trees and branches, and bamboo stalks where they continue to develop. In two to three months the tiny froglets are completely formed. The female rarely participates in these activities.
San Antonio Zoo exhibits green-and-black poison arrow frog (Dendrobates auratus), blue dart poison frog (Dendrobates azureus), dying poison arrow frog (Dendrobates tinctorius), and yellow-banded dart poison frog (Dendrobates leucomelas).
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