Dyeing Poison Frog

• It is one of the largest and most variably coloured poison frogs in the world.
• Unlike most amphibians, it is the male that carries the tadpoles on his back.
• Its toxicity comes from alkaloids in the ants, mites and beetles it eats.

Skeleton type

Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (amphibian)

Habitat & environment

Floor of tropical rainforest in South America, near tree holes and leaf litter holding water

Birth weight

Tiny on hatching as a tadpole; no precise weight found

Size at birth

A tiny tadpole after 14-18 days of egg development

Sexual maturity

Approximately 2 years

Gestation / incubation

14-18 days of egg development before it hatches as a tadpole, plus another 60-80 days of metamorphosis

Litter / clutch size

5 to 10 eggs per clutch

Lifespan in captivity

Up to more than 20 years documented in captivity

Sources consulted: Animal Diversity Web; Josh's Frogs; LegaSea Aquarium; NAHF (care guide); Potawatomi Zoo; Wikipedia (Dyeing poison dart frog); Exo Terra; bioRxiv (glucocorticoid stress study)

Best time: All year round in the Guianas, by day, on the leaf litter of the rainforest; it is most active in the hours after rain.