What family contains the poison dart frogs?

The poison dart frogs belong to the family Dendrobatidae. This family includes small frogs from tropical Central and South America, many of which advertise chemical defenses with vivid, warning coloration.

The name “poison dart frog” reflects the use of skin secretions by some Indigenous peoples to poison blowgun darts. The popular image is broader than the historical practice: only a small number of species, especially members of Phyllobates, are documented as having been used this way. Many dendrobatids are not dangerously toxic to humans.

Their alkaloid defenses are linked largely to diet. Wild frogs consume ants, mites, and other small arthropods, then accumulate or modify defensive chemicals in their skin. Captive-bred individuals fed a different diet often have greatly reduced toxicity, a fact that commonly causes confusion.

Dendrobatidae should not be confused with Bufonidae, the true toad family, or Hylidae, the tree-frog family. Taxonomy within dart frogs changes as genetic studies revise genera and species, but Dendrobatidae remains the family-level answer.