Dendrobatidae - poison frogs

The species in this family are found in Central and South America. Poison frogs are also known as poison-arrow frogs because the poison they secrete on their skin was rubbed on the tips of blowguns by some native tribes in Columbia. In some species, the poison is strong enough to kill a human. Many of the frogs in this family are brightly colored. Their bright coloring is a type of coloration called a badge that warns predators away. The species in this family are 1-1.5 inches in length and live in trees or on the ground. The species in this family eat ants, beetles, and mites and scientists think that they get their poison from the organisms they eat. Tadpoles in this family are carried on the backs of the adults to a body of water. The body of water can be water that has gathered in a crevice or a flower! In some species the male carries the tadpoles, and in some species the female carries them. There are around 200 species in this family.