Strawberry Poison Frog Oophaga pumilio, formerly Dendrobates pumilio

The Strawberry Poison (Dart) Frog is native to rainforest and cloud forest in Central America. A tiny frog not much bigger than a fingernail (shown above with a cockroach), it gives off toxins through its skin which cause paralysis and heart arrest in its predators - the toxins obtained from the mites and ants that it eats. Terrestrial, it climbs well.

The Strawberry Poison Frog is one of the most variable, with many recognised regional colour morphs. While some are red or pink/strawberry-coloured, with or without spots and some with blue legs, others are yellow, orange or green.

The tadpoles are dropped in a bromeliad or other small collections of water and are fed an unfertilised egg by their mother, which transfers the alkaloid toxicity to them for protection. The father protects the tadpoles and ensures water supply.