Rainforest Exhibit At Tulsa Zoo Grows Poison Dart Frogs Population

The Tulsa Zoo is growing its family. Zookeepers for the rainforest exhibit are breeding its poison dart frogs.

It is done in four stages. First, the frogs lay their eggs in petri dishes. Then, zookeepers place the eggs in a humidified container and in two to three weeks tadpoles emerge.

After another 60 to 90 days the tadpoles grow legs and transition to an enclosure with moss and leaves.

Bryce Brinker, a zookeeper for the rainforest exhibit, said the poison dart frog is generally found in Central and South America and absorbs toxins by eating insects. However, he said the frogs at the Tulsa Zoo are not actually poisonous.

"In the wild it is believed that they eat ants and termites that feed on toxic plant matter," Brinker said. "We obviously do not have those toxic plants, so we mimic their food using fruit flies."

You can visit the poison dart frogs in the rainforest building at the Tulsa Zoo.

To learn more about the poison dart frogs, click here.