Check out Australia Zoo’s Poison Dart Frogs!

The poison dart frog (also sometimes called the dyeing poison dart frog or dyeing poison frog) surely has to be one of the most spectacular creatures on the planet. Make sure you come visit us on display up in the Robert’s Reptile House, when you get a chance!

Poison dart frogs are tiny, with the largest of the species growing to a maximum size of about 50 millimetres (2 inches) long. They are found throughout Guyana, Suriname, Brazil and Venezuela, where they love to hang out in the highland regions, anywhere up to 350 metres (1,150 feet) above sea level. Often found near a water source and they will frequently be hiding within the leaves of a bromeliad and other water-holding plants.

Known for their toxin, poison dart frogs are amazing in that they actually acquire their toxins from the food they eat – ants and lots of them!!! The Poison Dart Frogs at Australia Zoo are not toxic because we feed them a different diet of crickets, aphids and fly. The bright colours of their skin then serve as a warning to predators not to eat them with the toxins causing quite severe pain, cramping and stiffness.