The Insane Biology of: The Poison Dart Frog

Poison dart frogs are the only vertebrates that combine coloration, toxicity, and diet specialization through sequestration—harvesting poisons from consumed prey rather than producing them internally.

Poison dart frogs evolved aposematism—the combination of bright warning colors with toxic defenses. Hundreds of species display vivid patterns ranging from golden yellow to blue jeans patterns to chocolate mint combinations.

Batrachotoxin from golden poison dart frogs represents one of nature’s most lethal compounds. Just 2/10 of a microgram kills a human, making it 100 times more lethal than inland taipan snake venom, with no antidote available.

Poison dart frogs evolved immunity to dozens or hundreds of deadly alkaloids they sequester from prey, a feat far exceeding pufferfish immunity to single tetrodotoxin.

Predators learn to avoid poison dart frogs through multiple pathways despite the paradox that lethal encounters cannot teach survivors. The learning occurs through non-lethal exposures, innate avoidance, and even in colorblind predators like bullet ants and bromeliad spiders.