In the moist forests of South and Central America, you can meet amazing frogs. Their sizes range from 7 to 1.5 cm. But thanks to the amazing, bright and juicy color, it is impossible not to notice even the smallest representatives of this family.
These beautiful amphibians are called - poison frogs. All of them are united by one common feature: small and large, multi-colored and monophonic, these amphibians are deadly poisonous, and the color that distinguishes them is a warning to the outside world about the danger. Let's get to know some of the views closer.
Blue poison frog
This representative of amphibian poison frogs cannot be called small, although its size is less than 5 cm. Blue poison frog is a very beautiful frog. Her dark blue body is covered with a variety of black spots and dots that make up a unique pattern. In the natural environment, these beauties are few. The only known place where the population has survived is Suriname.
Blue poison frog lives in groups or groups. Little is known about the behavior of this species of frogs in nature. They have almost no natural enemies, since amphibians are very poisonous. This affects the behavior of the group and its confidence in its integrity.
Despite the fact that the law forbids catching small dangerous beauties, blue frog frogs are often found in home collections and in terrariums of zoos. Keeping them simple. It is enough to recreate the warm humid climate of the homeland and fill the terrarium with greenery and stones. Poison frogs, like all frogs, feed on small insects.
Dart frogman
The spotted tree frog is one of the most poisonous frogs of this family. Lives amphibian in the jungle of Colombia. Its size does not exceed three centimeters, but the poison is able to paralyze a large beast. It is secreted by the skin of this amphibian and is more dangerous than that of a rattlesnake. And what is most sad - for him there is no antidote.
The indigenous people of South America have long used the poison that spotted frog-frogs produce for war and hunting. They were greased with arrowheads to repel an attack or ward off predatory animals.
Representatives of this species lead a daily lifestyle. Their color variations are very diverse - on dark skin there may be spots of the most unexpected shades: yellow, raspberry, blue and so on.
Golden Poisoner
Golden frog frogs are also very poisonous. They live in the humid tropical forests of Colombia. Love the heat and rain. They live in small groups of 5-6 individuals in each. Beautiful rich yellow color of the skin warns of extreme toxicity. A person can die from touching the baby, because he disrupts the transmission of nerve impulses throughout the body.
Red frog
The first red tree frog was found in the jungle of Costa Rica. It was just recently, literally in 2011. Her body is orange-red, and her hind legs are dark blue. Dark spots are scattered throughout the body. The frog is very toxic. Its poison is dangerous to humans.
Home Content
Keeping poison wood at home is very interesting. Many people think that this is dangerous, and they are mistaken. It turns out that toxic substances are not produced by small amphibians, but gradually accumulate from a typical diet.
In nature, poison frogs eat special ants, termites and worms that contain dangerous toxins. And at home, their diet consists of other insects, which means that the amount of poison is gradually falling, and the second or third generation of frogs generally lose toxicity.
In the terrarium, it is imperative to maintain high temperature and humidity. The difference between day and night heating is from 26 to 20 ° C.
Young animals are fed daily; adult frogs can receive food every other day. Insects for feeding should be as diverse as possible. It will be useful to add mineral fertilizers to live food.
The bottom of the frog dwelling is covered with fine gravel to keep water, lined with a mixture of peat, wood bark and moss. Moisture must leak through the litter.
Interesting Facts
You should be aware that not all poison frogs are poisonous. Many have bright colors - the usual frightening imitation.
The venom of small amphibians does not serve for food. They hunt, as well as the usual swamp quacks, using their tongue. The size of the prey in this case can be very different - the main thing is that the insect fits in the mouth.
A brightly colored frog (photo of them you can see in the article) moves along the trunks, branches and leaves of trees thanks to special devices on the paw pads. They secrete a sticky substance that can hold amphibians on any, even the most slippery, surface.
In captivity, multi-colored frogs can live up to seven years, which is quite a lot for such small representatives of amphibians. If ideal conditions are created, their life can be extended up to ten years.