Their Bright Coloration Is Associated With Their Toxicity

The majority of poison dart frog species are tiny, with adult lengths occasionally falling below 1.5 cm (0.59 in), while a few can reach lengths of up to 6 cm (2.4 in). On average, they weigh one ounce. The majority of poison dart frogs are colorful and exhibit aposematic patterns to alert prospective predators. Their high quantities of alkaloids and toxicology are correlated with their vibrant coloring. For instance, Colostethus species are cryptically colored and non-toxic, whereas frogs of the genus Dendrobates have significant levels of alkaloids.

A prime example of an aposematic organism is the poison dart frog. Their vivid coloring signals to potential predators that they are unpleasant to eat. According to evolutionary trees, aposematism is currently believed to have developed at least four times within the poison dart family. Since then, dendrobatid frogs have seen major intraspecific and interspecific divergences in their aposematic colouring. Given that this kind of defense mechanism is frequency-dependent, this is unexpected.