Are poison dart frogs poisonous?
Some species have toxins in their skin which can be used to lace arrows used in hunting. Only a few species, most notably Phyllobates terribilis, have strong enough toxins to be used in hunting. Thus, the name poison dart is a misnomer for most species, but it is a cool enough name that it has stuck. While most species are not extremely poisonous, most species do have less than lethal toxins in them. This can create hesitation when people are first introduced to them. (It makes sense that people are generally wary of poisonous things). Even the most deadly of species acquire their toxins from their native environment and thus, captive bred specimens are not toxic at all (as far as we know). However, all amphibians can carry bacteria which might make you sick and shouldn’t be routinely handled anyway, so don’t go licking these frogs!
