There are about 170 species of poison-arrow frogs, also known as poison-dart frogs, each beautifully colored from green and black to azure blue. At present, there are no species of poison-arrow frog that are threatened with extinction, but as with all tropical animals, their habitats are endangered.

Some of the more common poison-arrow frogs found as pets are the blue (Dendrobates azureus), black & green (Dendrobates auratus), and orange & black (Dendrobates reticulatus & Dendrobates leucomelas). In the rainforest their poison really is used on the tip of darts, hence the name. However, most species are not used for this purpose. Depending on the species, their poison ranges from harmless to almost instant death. The species Phylobates terribilis has enough poison to kill several adult humans and close to 20,000 small rodent-like animals.

More Info:

• National Geographic Poison Dart Frog
• Learning About Rainforests Poison-Arrow Frog
• Smithsonian Poison Dart Frogs