- Common Name:
- Golden Poison Frog
- Scientific Name:
- Phyllobates terribilis
- Type:
- Amphibians
- Diet:
- Carnivore
- Group Name:
- Army
- Average Life Span In The Wild:
- 10 years
- Size:
- 1 inch
- Weight:
- Less than 1 ounce
- IUCN Red List Status:
- Endangered
- Current Population Trend:
- Decreasing
The golden poison frog is considered one of the most toxic animals on Earth. A single specimen measuring two inches has enough venom to kill ten grown men. The indigenous Emberá people of Colombia have used its powerful venom for centuries to tip their blowgun darts when hunting, hence the species' name.
Population
These brightly colored amphibians are among the largest of the more than 100 poison dart frog species, averaging more than one inch in length. They live within a tiny plot of rain forest on the Pacific coast of Colombia. And though the population in its small range is abundant, widespread decimation of the rain forest has landed this species on international endangered lists.
Coloring and Diet
Their coloring, which can be yellow, orange, or pale green, depending on their particular range, is deliberately ostentatious to ward off potential predators, a tactic called aposematic coloration. Their diet includes flies, crickets, ants, termites, and beetles.
Toxicity
Scientists are unsure of the source of this frog's amazing toxicity, but it is possible they assimilate plant poisons, which are carried by their prey. Poison dart frogs raised in captivity and isolated from insects in their native habitat never develop venom.
The medical research community has been exploring possible medicinal uses for the golden poison frog's toxins. They have already developed a synthetic version of one of the poison's compounds that has promise as a powerful painkiller.