Fauna in the Gardens –
Poison Dart Frog Vivarium

Floral Fantasy at Bayfront Plaza is home to a vivarium that showcases over 30 vibrantly coloured poison dart frogs of various species.

The Frogs 

Poison dart frogs may be small but they pack a punch! In the wild, these amphibians are notoriously poisonous as their diet of ants, centipedes and mites leads to the production of toxins on their skin. The frogs at the Gardens however, are not as toxic as their wild brethren, as they feed on fruit flies specially reared for them.   

Poison dart frogs are native to Central and South America but the frogs in the vivarium were domesticated and bred in Canada. The team that takes care of them in the Gardens spent two years learning how to do so from zoo keepers and herpetologists!

Spot these poison dart frogs in gold and three colour morphs, yellow-black, green-black and blue-black as you admire the vivarium!

The Plants

Most of the plants in the vivarium are exotic foliage plants native to the tropical rainforests of Southeast Asia, with a handful from similar habitats in South America. They consist primarily of begonias, bromeliads and orchids. 

Unlike most other frog species, poison dart frogs are not nocturnal so watch them hop and hide amongst the plants the next time you visit Floral Fantasy!

This article is part of our Guide to the Gardens series.