Why are poisonous dart frogs endangered

Breeding poison dart frogs in captivity can be difficult and laborious but experts at Tesoros de Colombia hope it can replace the illegal pet trade Credit: Tesoros de Colombia. Collectors in Europe and the United States are particularly drawn to poison dart frogs, one of the most toxic animals on the planet.

Each can produce enough poison to kill 10 people , but their lurid, technicolour skin that is supposed to warn off predators also makes them highly prized. Nearly amphibian species in Colombia , the vast majority of which are frogs, are classified as endangered or critically endangered in , according researchers at the Humboldt Institute in Germany. By , it gained permits for several others such as the green and black poison frog D. Now, Lozano breeds seven species of poisonous frogs, delivering them mostly to the United States and Europe but also Asia.

His efforts to replace illegally captured frogs have made him famous among American collectors, who — in part thanks to Lozano — are increasingly seeking legally-traded, eco-friendly animals.

Production of these Oophaga specimens by Tesoros has risen from 30 to a year, but supply is still unable to meet demand. Type: Amphibians. Diet: Carnivore. Group Name: Army. Size: 1 inch. Weight: Less than 1 ounce. Size relative to a paper clip:. Least Concern Extinct. Current Population Trend: Decreasing. This photo was submitted to Your Shot, our photo community on Instagram.

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Poison dart frogs, like other amphibian species around the world, have been plagued by a fungal disease called chytridiomycosis. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that researchers believe spread of this fungus was caused by the international transport of amphibians, and that it originated in southern Africa around Herpetologists blame this fungus for the greatest disease-caused loss of biodiversity, both plant and animal, in recorded history.

Globally, the fungus has caused the decline or extinction of at least frog species alone. European and American collectors prize the brightly colored poison dart frogs, resulting in a high demand in the international pet trade for new and increasingly rare specimens.