Alvin Silverstein - Poison Dart Frogs

Poison Dart Frogs Cool Pets!

Lots of people have dogs and cats for pets, but did you know that some people keep pets like iguanas and poison dart frogs? If you've ever considered getting an unusual pet, the Far-Out and Unusual Pets series is for you! Learn the history, the science, and the care of fun and exotic pets.

"This book is a great introduction to the fascinating world of rain forest dart frogs!"

"Readers will enjoy all the great details about exotic pets in these fascinating, fact-filled books."

About the Authors

Dr. Alvin Silverstein is a retired professor of biology at the College of Staten Island, City University of NewYork. Virginia Silverstein translates scientific Russian and is a professional author. Together they have written more than 200 books for young people. Laura Silverstein Nunn has coauthored more than 100 books with her parents.

Poison dart frogs come in a rainbow of colors!

Just one look at a poison dart frog, and wow! You cant believe your eyes. This is no ordinary frog. It is not a dull green or brown like you might find in your backyard. Poison dart frogs come in amazingly bright colors and patterns. They are the wildest colors you have ever seenyellow, orange, red, and even blue! How cool would it be to keep one as a pet?

But isnt it dangerous to have poison dart frogs as pets? After all, their name does have the word poison in it. In the wild, these frogs are poisonous. Thats because they eat insects that feed on poisonous plants. This doesnt harm the frog at all. But the poisons can be deadly to any animal that tries to eat the frog.

Poison dart frog pets are actually harmless, though. They dont live on the same diet as they would in the wild. So their bodies dont have the dangerous poisons that their wild relatives do.

Poison dart frogs can make great pets. But keeping one is more like keeping a fish than it is like keeping a cat or dog, or even a hamster. These frogs are more for show than they are for cuddling.

Poison dart frogs can add beauty to any home, but they are also a big responsibility. These frogs need special care. How much do you know about these little beauties? Find out as much as you can before you bring one into your life.

Read on to see why poison dart frogs can make such far-out and unusual pets.

Whats in a Name?

How did poison dart frogs get their name? One very poisonous kind lives in Colombia. The Choco Indians who live there use the frogs poisons for hunting. They coat darts by rubbing them along the frogs back. When the poisonous dart strikes its target, the poison seeps into the animals body. In no time, the animal is unable to move.

This man rubs a dart along the skin of a golden poison dart frog.

In the wild, poison dart frogs are easy to spot. Who could miss a bright blue-spotted frog sitting on a green leaf? Shouldnt it be hiding somewhere so it wont get gobbled up by a swooping bird? Like all frogs, poison dart frogs need to protect themselves from predators. Predators are animals that catch and eat other animals.

Actually, the frogs beautiful colors are like a warning sign that screams: Dont eat me or else! Enemies quickly learn to stay away from bright-colored frogs. Any animal that doesnt listen to the warning will get a mouth full of yuck! These frogs taste awful. A predator that eats one can get very sick or even die.

As pets, poison dart frogs dont have to worry about predators. But even in your home, they still keep their wild ways. Learning about how they behave in the wild can help you take care of this unusual pet in your home.

Hide and Seek

Most frogs are a dull green or brown color. This is their best defense against predators. Frogs spend a lot of time hanging out on the ground among plant leaves. They blend into their surroundings. So a predator looking for something to eat wont notice these frogs.

In the wild, poison dart frogs live in tropical places. The tropics are usually warm all year round. They are also rather damp. Poison dart frogs can be found in the rain forests of Costa Rica, Colombia, Peru, Bolivia, and Venezuela. They live on the Hawaiian Islands as well. They tend to hang out in trees, near puddles, and among the leaves, logs, and rocks on the forest floor.

In the wild, poison dart frogs can be found in trees. They also live among leaves, logs, and rocks on the forest floor. This is a harlequin poison dart frog.

Like all frogs, poison dart frogs are amphibians. Amphibian comes from a Greek word that means double life. Frogs do have a kind of double life. They can live on land and in the water, just as other amphibians do. This also describes their two life stages: a fishlike tadpole (the young form of frogs) and an adult. (Adult frogs start out small and continue to grow for many months.)

Tadpoles grow from frog eggs. They live completely underwater. When they become adult frogs, they spend most of their time on land. But water is still important to them. Their smooth, slimy skin needs to stay slightly wet. Frogs have lungs to breathe, like we do. But they can breathe through their moist skin as well. They also drink water by taking it in through their skin.

After the eggs hatch, a male poison dart frog carries the tadpoles to the water. This male tricolor poison dart frog has tadpoles on his back.

How does a frog stay wet when it no longer lives in the water? In the rain forest, the air is filled with tiny bits of water. The amount of water in the air is called humidity. Rain forests are very humid. That means theres a lot of water in the air. Thats good for the poison dart frogs. The humid air keeps their skin slightly wet.

Skin Snot?

Ever wonder why a frogs skin feels so slimy? Thats because the frogs skin is covered with mucus. Thats like the stuff inside your nose that forms snot! It may be yucky, but its useful. In your nose, mucus traps dirt to keep it from getting into your body. On a frogs skin, mucus helps hold in the wetness from the humid air.