One of the most common questions I get about these cool amphibians is are red eyed tree frogs poisonous? It’s a great question and I can completely understand the confusion around these cool and colorful little creatures. I’m going to give you the quick answer right below.
Are red eyed tree frogs poisonous? No, they are not. Their bright color and exotic nature can definitely make people think they are venomous or poisonous. But they are not. There are other species of frogs that are poisonous but the red eyed tree frogs are not.
I’m going to take some time and go over some red eyed tree frog Q&A below but I’m also going to show you some of the most poisonous frogs in the world! If you want to learn more about red eyed tree frogs, you can head over to our facts page. You will learn all about them from their size, habitat and eating habits. Check it out below!
Are Red Eyed Tree Frogs Poisonous?
As you found out above the red eyed tree frog is not poisonous but there are frogs that live in tropical locations that are. I wanted to take some time and talk about them for a few minutes. Let’t take a look at some of the more poisonous frogs.
Golden Poison Dart Frog
This is the definitely the most toxic of all the poisonous frogs. The golden poison dart frog is widely considered the most poisonous frog in the world. The amount of poison they have does vary from diet and location.
The average golden poison dart frog contains enough venom to kill between 10 to 20 humans. Even though they have a powerful defense mechanism, they are still an endangered species.
Blue Poison Dart Frog
These highly poisonous little critters can be found in southern Suriname and northern to central Brazil. The blue poison dart frog is a dark blue color and has black spots. The black spots will vary from frog to frog and makes each one unique.
Like most poisonous frogs they will lose their toxicity when captive due to a dramatically altered diet. They are relatively easy to keep in captivity so they actually make really popular pets.
Black Legged Dart Frog
The black legged dart frog looks pretty closely related to the golden dart frog. Which makes sense considering it’s actually the second most toxic frog in the world that we know of. It’s a little smaller and a little more slender than the golden dart frog.
It does have a slightly weaker toxin but can still be extremely poisonous to humans as it has been known to cause death. They are still a poisonous frog that you definitely want to make sure you’re watching out for!
Dyeing Dart Frog
Even though it’s one of the largest of the poisonous dart frogs it still only gets to be about 2 inches long. It belongs to a different genus, the Dendrobates than the more poisonous dart frogs who belong to the Phyllobates genus. The Dendrobates genus is less toxic than it’s distant cousins.
Although they aren’t the most poisonous of the frogs their poison or venom has some really interesting uses. It can be used to put on the tip of arrows to aid in hunting. But as an even odder use, the indigenous tribes of the Guiana Shield actually rub the skin of young parrots with the venom to make the parrots feathers grow in different colors. That is where this frogs common name derives from.
Phantasmal Poison Frog
This tiny poisonous frog has an incredibly story. They are very small and very beautiful. They only get to 0.4 to 1.6 inches long. Even though they are tiny they do carry enough toxic venom to kill an adult human.
Their poison has actually been used to create a painkiller called epibatadine which is actually 200 times more potent than morphine but without any addictive qualities. Scientists are currently working hard to try and figure out how to breed these tiny frogs in captivity without them losing their potency. Due to diet changes most poisonous frogs kept in captivity lose their potency over time. Let’s hope they can figure it out!
If this little frog wants a future, it will likely be in captivity. They are endangered mostly due to habitat loss.
Are Red Eyed Tree Frogs Poisonous?
Okay, I know we talked about this before and no, red eyed tree frogs are not poisonous. The frogs above are just some cool examples of some of the poisonous frogs that are out there.
I wanted to do a quick Q&A about the red eyed tree frog however. Let’s tackle some of those super common questions like, are red eyed tree frogs poisonous?
What Are The Predators Of The Red Eyed Tree Frog?
Animals that eat the red-eyed tree frog include snakes, spiders, bats, owls and toucans. These are all their natural predators.
How Big Do Red Eyed Tree Frogs Get?
They get to full size after 1 – 2 years when they reach full maturity. Once this happens they are typically 1.5 – 2 inches long. Females are always a little bit bigger than males which is necessary since they give piggy back rides. Froggy back rides?
Are Red Eyed Tree Frogs Good Pets?
They aren’t recommended for beginning pet or frog owners but they do actually make good pets. They aren’t extremely difficult to care for but they do require a little more than some pets.
Why Red Eyed Tree Frogs Have Red Eyes?
Red is typically a color of warning in nature, this is why people as are red eyed tree frogs poisonous. The bright red color is a defense mechanism. The green helps them blend in to the forest leaves but if this camouflage fails, the red is the back up plan. When they open their eyes to reveal the startling red color it often deters prey. When they run from a prey they also reveal their bright red legs, this will often make a predator hesitate or stall allowing the red eyed tree frog to get away!
Red Eyed Tree Frog Youtube Video
Before we end I wanted to make sure you saw this really awesome red eyed tree frog video. It gives you a ton of information and you can learn a lot from it.
Conclusion
Thank you so much for stopping by and asking, are red eyed tree frogs poisonous? These little creatures are actually pretty fascinating in the wild and make really good pets for someone who is looking to own this kind of pet.
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Also, please check out some of our other really cool fact pages below!
