Green-and-black poison frog

Physical features

• Body length is 1.5-2 inches (about 4-5 cm). Females are slightly larger and bulkier than males.

• This wide-ranging species is highly variable in coloration and patterning. Most populations are some shade of black or dark brown with varied bands, blotches, or spots of varied shades of metallic green. Some populations feature frogs with brown and white coloration, nearly all black, golden, or even blue with black markings.

Diet: Insectivore

• Wild – a variety of tiny insects and other invertebrates

• Zoo - small crickets, fruit flies, bean beetles, springtails

Reproduction

• Males call from the forest floor with an insect-like buzzing call to attract females. Males may reproduce with several females within their territory.

• A female will lay between 3-13 eggs in a single clutch.

• After eggs are laid and fertilized in leaf litter on the forest floor, the male cares for them, including watering them from his bladder and keeping predators away.

• When the eggs begin hatching, the male encourages the tadpoles to climb onto his back. He will then carry them to a body of water where they can complete the tadpole phase of their life cycle.

Interpretive Information

• Poison frogs get their famous toxins through their diet in the wild. In human care, they receive a different diet that does not include the toxic compounds, so frogs born in human care are not toxic.

• Poison frogs are diurnal and will often tap their toes when excited or agitated.

Updated September 2024