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Where does the venom for poison darts come from?

This cute, tiny frog would tempt you to pick it up, but wait! Don’t let its beautiful and vibrant-colored skin fool you. The deep vivid colors mean that it is poisonous. The Poison Dart Frog’s venom is highly toxic. Frogs like this are the source of poison that Native Americans use on their poison darts!

Being chemically poisonous is part of this frog’s body and genetic makeup. Scientists call this a structural adaptation. These physical and chemical adaptations help this frog defend itself from predators in the rainforest.

Blue Jeans Poison Dart Frog in Peruvian rainforest Jeff Cremer Photo
Most people are used to seeing frogs that have green or brown skin, but these poison dart frogs come in all sorts of colors like yellow, blue, red, black, and metallic hues. Some even have cool designs. This frog here is called the Blue Jeans Poison Dart frog. Can you guess why?

ETL Rainforest Science curriculum connection: Unit 2-Chapter 1-Lesson 1 Gr 4 / Unit 2-Chapter 1-Lesson 2 Gr K

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