The Kokoe Poison Frog (Phyllobates aurotaenia) is an amphibian in the Dendrobatidae family of poison dart frogs. 

The adult Kokoe Poison Frog is black with green, yellow, orange, or brownish stripes on its back. It has a black abdomen with blue or green dots.

It grows to about 4-5 centimetres (2 inches) long. It is the smallest of this genus of poison dart frogs. 

Poison Dart Frogs are found in tropical Central America and South America. The Kokoe Poison Frog is endemic to the Pacific coast of Colombia.

It is known as the third most poisonous frog in the world. The most poisonous frog is the Golden Poison Frog (Phyllobates terribilis) and the second most poisonous frog is the Black-Legged Poison Frog (Phyllobates bicolor). The Poison Frogs have batrachotoxin in glands located in their skin. Scientists think that Poison Dart Frogs raised in captivity are non-toxic or less toxic than frogs in the wild.

It feeds on insects, such as ants and beetles.

It is a social frog that is seen in groups.

The female lays eggs on the ground in leaf litter. She lays 15-20 eggs. The eggs hatch into tadpoles after 10-12 days. The male parent takes the tadpoles to slow-flowing water. The tadpoles have gills, a tail, and no legs. It metamorphoses (transforms) into a frog by losing its tail, gaining lungs (instead of gills) so that it can breathe air, and gaining four legs. 

Location of photographs: Parc Zoologique de Paris in Bois de Vincennes, France

Photographer: Martina Nicolls

Martina Nicolls: SIMILAR BUT DIFFERENT IN THE ANIMAL KINGDOM