Which rainforest frog is famous for being one of the world’s most toxic vertebrates?

The golden poison frog is famous for being one of the world’s most toxic vertebrates.

Golden poison frogs live in a small area of humid Pacific lowland rainforest in western Colombia. Their bright yellow, orange, or greenish coloration is aposematic, warning predators that the skin contains powerful batrachotoxins. The toxin can interfere with nerve and muscle function.

In captivity, frogs often lose much or all of their toxicity because the chemicals appear to come from dietary sources rather than being manufactured in large amounts by the frog itself. Wild frogs acquire relevant alkaloids from arthropods, although the exact dietary pathway can vary.

Indigenous Emberá peoples traditionally used the frogs’ secretions on blowgun darts, giving the animal its common name. The species is threatened by habitat loss and other pressures. Its scientific name, Phyllobates terribilis, reflects the extraordinary strength of its defensive chemistry.