What explains the toxicity of poison dart frogs?

• A. They are bright and toxic because they acquire toxins from their diet of insects.
• B. They are bright but devoid of toxins.
• C. They derive toxins from rocks.
• D. They become toxic after mating season.

Answer: (A)

Toxicity comes from the frogs’ diet. Poison dart frogs don’t synthesize these toxins themselves; they obtain alkaloids from the insects they eat and store them in their skin glands, turning the frogs into a chemical defense against predators. The bright, showy coloration serves as a warning to potential predators (aposematic signaling) that the frog is toxic. In captivity, where their insect prey isn’t the same, many of these frogs lose their toxins, which reinforces that the toxins come from their diet.