STRAWBERRY POISON FROG

The strawberry poison frog is one of several hundred species of small, highly toxic Amazon frogs. The bright colors typical of these frogs are warning coloration to deter prospective predators. Toxins in the skin are among the most poisonous in nature and so these animals should be handled with extreme caution. They are also called "poison dart" frogs from their use by Indians as an ingredient of curare, used to coat the darts which are propelled with blow guns to kill prey. However, some scientists dispute that the frogs are used much for this purpose (the main ingredient of curare is derived from a plant) and prefer these species are collectively called "poison frogs."

Although many poison frogs live all of their lives in the tree canopy, the Strawberry Poison Frog (Dendrobates reticulatus), is quite common on the forest floor.

This photo shows the actual size of an adult strawberry poison frog. Some species are no larger than a house fly, making them among the smallest vertebrates. Due to the high toxicity of skin productions, it is vital to wash hands after handling these frogs.