Green-and-black Poison Dart Frog

Carries the tadpoles in mucus on its back

Male green-and-black poison dart frogs gather in large groups before mating to fight over who gets the best territories. The female chooses which male to mate with, and he then shows her a pool of water which he has selected for her eggs. During the time that the eggs develop, he visits the pool several times to make sure they are well.

When the tadpoles hatch, the male carries them in mucus on his back to a larger pool or a small brook, where the tadpoles can develop into adult frogs. It takes about 6 weeks to develop from a newly hatched tadpole into a fully grown frog. 

Introduced to Hawaii

The green-and-black poison dart frog has been introduced to Hawaii on purpose, where it has multiplied and spread geographically. In densely populated areas, the frogs sometimes lay their eggs in pools of water that accumulate in garbage – perhaps a broken jar or plastic container.

The green-and-black poison dart frog is one of the most variable poison frogs in appearance, as it can also be turquoise or golden – in fact, its Latin specific name, auratus, means “golden”.

Not poisonous itself

Not all poison dart frogs are poisonous, but the green-and-black poison dart frog is one of the poisonous species. The frog does not produce the toxin itself – it is created by something in the frog’s diet, probably beetles or ants.

When the frog eats the poisonous insects, it can store the toxin in its own body and then excrete it through glands in the skin. The frog then becomes poisonous to other animals touching it. When poison dart frogs are bred in captivity, they are not poisonous because they are reared on diets that do not contain any poisonous insects.