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One of the most fascinating things you need to know about poison dart frogs is they don't produce the poison alkaloids with which they defend themselves. Instead, poison frogs derive their poison supplies by consuming other animals! That's right poison frogs didn't evolve with the ability to manufacture poisons. What they did evolve with, however, is a desire to eat ants, beetles, and other invertebrates that scientists believe consume alkaloid poisonous plants, become alkaloid-rich, and transfer the poisons to the dart frogs that eat the insects. Although the poison dart frogs don't produce alkaloidal poisons, they are immune to them.

Another thing you need to know about poison dart frogs is that Phyllobates Terribilis, otherwise known as "Golden Poison Frog", is the deadliest poison dart frog in existence. But not only that, this frog is capable of carrying enough poison during any given time to wipe out 10,000 mice. A dose this powerful is strong enough to kill between eight and twenty humans. For these reasons, the Golden Poison Frog is said to be the most poisonous "vertebrate" worldwide.

There are a number of different kinds of poisons that can be harbored in poison dart frogs. The type of poison they carry depends on the species of frog and the kinds of poisonous life-forms they consume. For example, since Golden Poison Frogs eat ants, termites, and beetles, they transmit a poison called batrachotoxin. This means batrachotoxin is produced when poison frogs eat these kinds of life-forms. Batrachotoxin is powerful enough to prevent human nerves from transmitting impulses and thereby causing human muscles to become inactive. Inactive muscles can lead to heart fibrillation and heart failure.

One thing frog hobbyists or anyone apt to handle poison frogs needs to know is poison frogs can remain poisonous for years after captivity. Although poison frogs must consume poison life-forms to obtain their deadly toxins, they do not need to consume toxicants on a regular basis. Dart frogs can store alkaloid batrachotoxin for years because the toxin does not deteriorate easily.

Handlers also need to know that dogs and chickens have died from manipulating paper towels previously walked on by poison frogs. Poison frogs do not need to bite, sting, or commit any violent act in order to inflict their poison. All one has to do to become subjected to their poison is touch a poison frog because the deadly toxins are stored just below their skin and is secreted when the frogs are

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