# Frogs & Toads > Dart Frogs (Dendrobatidae) > Beginner Discussion >  I heard that dart frogs are not actually poisonous

## abacabb

I heard that dart frogs are not actually poisonous, instead what makes them poisonous is the food that they eat. Is this true? If yes, does this mean that in captivity they are not poisonous as long as they don't eat whatever kind if food that makes their skin toxic?

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## Paul Rust

> I heard that dart frogs are not actually poisonous, instead what makes them poisonous is the food that they eat. Is this true? If yes, does this mean that in captivity they are not poisonous as long as they don't eat whatever kind if food that makes their skin toxic?


*This is true. Captive Bred darts are not deadly and Wild Caught ones lose their toxicity over time. That doesn't mean that they don't have toxins in their skin. Like most amphibians, I would consider them a hands-off pet.*

*Edit: I am not an expert with Mantellas but I read somewhere that they produce their own toxins, I am not sure though. Maybe someone can add more to this.*

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## abacabb

Got it. But what are the foods that make them toxic? And what is the best diet for them in captivity.

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## Paul Rust

*The best diet is a staple of flightless fruit flies along with springtails.*

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## John Clare

Firstly, most "poison dart frogs" are actually not very poisonous, even in the wild.  There are only a few that could be considered deadly, and those are mainly confined to the genus Phyllobates.  Captive bred specimens are not truly poisonous, but I wouldn't advise eating one - you would, at the very least, experience vomiting, some foaming at the mouth and probably some numbness too.

The toxins that make these frogs so poisonous in the wild supposedly come from their food, but the exact origins of the toxins are not known with certainty.  There has been recent evidence that some toxins may come from small beetles, which in turn get the toxins from plants, but in the past there have been theories that the toxins came from ants and other insects.  What we know with some certainty is that these frogs are part of huge, poorly understood ecosystems, and the poisons likely originate from a number of sources, which in turn are likely dependent on their own foods for the toxins or the precursors to the toxins.

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## JimO

I've read that at least some of the toxins come from bacteria that infect the insects they eat.  There have been studies that took captive bred non-toxic specimens and began feeding them from native leaf litter.  They developed toxins over time.  So, it appears clear that it's from their food and that they cannot synthesize it themselves.

There are also a variety of very different toxins found in dart frogs.  Only about four species, I believe, are used to tip blow gun darts and are very toxic indeed.  It is said that the golden dart frog has enough neurotoxin to kill ten adults.

Where exactly the toxic is synthesized is the million (or billion) dollar question.  One of the toxins has promise as a painkiller more potent than opiate derivatives and without the side effects.

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## Immortal

So I'm curious, if they are not "really poisonous" or not "very poisonous," if you had to move one from one tank to another, could you safely do it without gloves or would you need to wear protection on your hands? They are SO beautiful... I can't have pets and not ever handle them lol. I don't handle my red eyed tree frog too much but it's still amazing to be able to have her sitting on my finger for a bit. Thanks!

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## clownonfire

> So I'm curious, if they are not "really poisonous" or not "very poisonous," if you had to move one from one tank to another, could you safely do it without gloves or would you need to wear protection on your hands? They are SO beautiful... I can't have pets and not ever handle them lol. I don't handle my red eyed tree frog too much but it's still amazing to be able to have her sitting on my finger for a bit. Thanks!


Lor, there is no risk when handling dart frogs in captivity. Most of their toxicity comes from their diet in the wild. Captive bred frogs will have no toxicity. Wild caught ones will take about 5 years before losing their toxicity.

Handling a fire-bellied toad would be more cumbersome.

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## wesleybrouwer

Even within a species the toxic cocktail varies.
An animal from 1 species found a few miles apart can have different levels of components their toxic is made of.
There is even research done that shows that 1 specimen can have different levels trough the course of it's live.

Poison darts don't produce their own venom, only frogs/toads with poisoin glands do.
This can be seen verry well in Bufonidae or with the amazone milkfrog for example.

In captivity, handling can be best avoided even when not poisonous.
Not for you're own safety, but for the frog itself.
Better catch them with a clean cup or little transport box.
Just keep it in front of the frog and chase him/here in.
That is the best way possible to handle them for moving.

If you really need to do it by hand.
Wash them with a perfume free soap/desinfectant and rinse it well.
Then before handling, make you;re hands wet with just water.
That way you have a little less chance of damaging their fragile skin.

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## bshmerlie

Dart frogs would not be the best choice if you're dying to hold you frog. They are smaller and they are fast. Some of them you would have difficulty catching them once outside the tank.

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## Immortal

Thanks for the info everyone. Probably not a great pet for me, but they sure are pretty.

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## clownonfire

> Dart frogs would not be the best choice if you're dying to hold you frog. They are smaller and they are fast. Some of them you would have difficulty catching them once outside the tank.


That's a good point, Cheri. I think the question was hypothetical, and more on toxicity. 

However, you are right. I moved my R. ventrimaculata from a cube to a 29 gallon this week, and there was no way I could have handled them. I had to trap them in a breeding container, with moss and a small brom and transferred them this way. I'm sure I could have injured them trying to manipulate them.

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## bshmerlie

> I can't have pets and not ever handle them lol. I don't handle my red eyed tree frog too much but it's still amazing to be able to have her sitting on my finger for a bit. Thanks!


Eric I was just responding to this part of her post because you guys did such a wonderful job with the toxicity aspect.   :Big Grin: . See men like to be technical but girls are more touchy feely.  Just throwing in the human aspect. :Big Grin:

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## Don

I just wanted to note that washing your hands does not mean, and should never be, the use of hand sterilizing products.  The alcohol content is a very bad thing for your frogs and it stays on your hands for quite some time.

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## bshmerlie

> I just wanted to note that washing your hands does not mean, and should never be, the use of hand sterilizing products.  The alcohol content is a very bad thing for your frogs and it stays on your hands for quite some time.


That's a very good thing to point out Don.  I don't remember how long ago it was but someone had a frog go into shock because of some toxic reaction to something on their hands.

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## poison beauties

Your more likely to hurt them than you even being hurt handling wc darts, While they lose their toxicity over time the phyllobates family can remain toxic for years. Many are also too small to be able to truely hold as far as you being able to control them...

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