Question

Why are blue posion frog threaten?

Answer 1

Poison dart frogs are one of the planet’s most brightly colored animals. Depending on the species, they can be yellow, copper, gold, red, blue, green, black or a combination of those colors. Their showy colors and startling designs help warn predators of the danger they impose—a defense mechanism known as “aposematic coloration.” Within their skin, they store natural venom that can paralyze, or even kill, a predator. The Dendrobatidae family of frogs includes some of the world’s most toxic species. The golden poison dart frog, for example, contains enough poison to kill 10 adult men. Indigenous cultures, such as the Chocó people of Colombia, have used these frogs’ poison for centuries to coat the tip of their blow darts before hunting—a tradition that inspired the frogs’ common name. Despite their fearsome traits, they are relatively small and usually grow to be just one to two inches (2.5 to 5 cm) long.


Threats

Due to their toxicity, poison dart frogs have only one natural predator -- the Leimadophis epinephelus, a species of snake that has developed a resistance to their venom. Far more detrimental to the species is the destruction of their habitat. Many poison dart frog species are facing a decline in numbers, and some have been classified as endangered due to the loss of their rainforest habitat.