There are actually several frogs in the poison frog, or poison dart / arrow frog species. All three of them live in the wet tropical rain forests of South America and all three of them are absolutely beautiful.

Most amphibians that secrete toxins from their skins are brightly coloured as a warning to other species. However, not all animals with bright colorations are toxic. Some merely mimic other poisonous species as a form of defense.

These frogs are usually very small (3/4 to 1 1/2 inches in length) and only weigh about 1 ounce.

The most poisonous frog in the world is also the largest of the poison dart frog species…

The Golden Poison Dart Frog

This frog stores its poison in its skin but it is only used as a defense mechanism, not as a weapon. These frogs are social and intelligent creatures.

Check out some of the other beautiful, but deadly poison dart frogs:

Sources:

Frost, Darrel R. (2014). “Phyllobates terribilis Myers, Daly, and Malkin, 1978″. Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0. American Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 6 January 2018.

Poison frogs. (2017, May 4). Retrieved from https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/poison-frogs