This is the golden poison frog. Setting aside the name, it seems harmless enough, right? Just look at those adorable, beady little eyes. It’s just like a slimy gerbil!
Well, don’t get your hopes up. This tiny creature would NOT make a good pet. If poison dart frogs aren’t already dangerous enough, the golden poison frog (Phyllobates terribilis) is the deadliest of them all. The average golden poison frog carries about one milligram of poison, which is enough to kill about 10,000 mice or roughly 10 to 20 humans. This poison, known as batrachotoxin, is only found in two other poisonous frog species, melyrid beetles, and three poisonous birds.
Fascinatingly, the golden poison frog doesn’t naturally produce this poison. It acquires batrachotoxin by consuming toxic beetles. In captivity, without access to these beetles, the frogs gradually become non-toxic.
With their beautiful, bright colors, golden poison frogs might appear welcoming, but like most poisonous animals, their colors are meant to warn predators away. Despite their name, not all carry the characteristic golden color; variations like the mint morph exhibit a bluish/cobalt shade, yet they remain vivid enough to deter predators.
The moral of the story? If you see an animal with bright colors, no matter how small or cute, DO NOT touch it!!! One gram of the golden poison frog’s poison is enough to kill 15,000 humans!
