How Long Do Poison Dart Frogs Live? (Lifespan by Species + Care Tips)

Poison dart frogs live 4-8 years in the wild but can live 10-20 years in captivity with proper care. Some species like bumblebee poison dart frogs can reach 18-24 years, and there are records of golden dart frogs living over 25 years in captivity.

Lifespan varies significantly by species: blue dart frogs live up to 12 years, harlequin dart frogs around 15 years, and golden dart frogs 6-10 years. Wild dart frogs live shorter lives due to predators, habitat loss, and disease, while captive frogs benefit from consistent care, food, and veterinary treatment.

This guide covers lifespan by species, factors that affect longevity (temperature, humidity, diet), why captive frogs live longer, and common causes of early death. Whether you’re choosing a species or trying to maximize your frog’s lifespan, you’ll know what to expect.

Average Lifespan Of A Dart Frog

If you take into count both wild and pet dart frogs, their average lifespan is about 10-15 years.

The deadly poison of a dart frog makes it safe from predators. Its bright color is also a warning to its predators. Hence, there’s a little chance to lose the life of a dart frog by being attacked.

So, if the environment and food supply are perfect in its habitat, a dart frog can manage to live a long life. It can live a decade or more than that.

Expand your understanding of Dart Frogs—click here to uncover more! Can Dart Frogs Eat Mealworms? [Daily?]

How Long Do Blue Poison Dart Frogs Live?

Blue poison dart frog is named like this, due to its vibrant blue skin color. Not to mention, it is one of the most poisonous dart frogs in the world.

Some pieces of researches show that blue poison dart frogs live longer in captivity than in the wild. Blue poison dart frogs live long for up to 12 years in captivity. On the contrary, they can survive for 4-6 years in the wild.

However, their long lifespan depends highly on other natural resources and factors.

Various Species Of Dart Frogs And Their Lifespan

There are more than 100 varieties of species of poison dart frogs. Not only their characteristics are different, but also their lifespan is different too. Hence, I’ve conducted some researches to know the lifespan of various dart frogs.

So, let’s take a quick look at the following chart.

Species Of Poison Dart Frog	Lifespan
Green and Black Poison Dart Frog	Over 10 years
Black Legged Poison Dart Frog	8-15+ years
Golden Poison Dart Frog	6-10 years
Lovely Poison Dart Frog	Around 6-15 years
Red-Backed Poison Dart Frog	8-12 years
Kokoe Poison Dart Frog	Up to 15 years
Black Legged Poison Dart Frog	8-15 years or more
Bumblebee Poison Dart Frog	18-24 years
Spotted Poison Dart Frog	6+ years
Harlequin Poison Dart Frog	Around 15 years
Granular Poison Dart Frog	More than 10 years
Hahnel’s Poison Dart Frog	6-8 years
Green Poison Dart Frog	4-8 years or more
Peppered Poison Dart Frog	8-12 years
Golfodulcean Poison Dart Frog	8-15 years
Cloud Forest Poison Dart Frog	6-8 years
Lehmann’s Poison Dart Frog	More than 8 years
Marbled Poison Dart Frog	8-12 years
Red Headed Poison Dart Frog	6-8 years
Blue Legged Mantella	8-12 years
Three Striped Poison Dart Frog	7-15 years
Mantella Crocea Poison Dart Frog	5-8 years

Again, you’ll find many other dart frogs with different lifespans. The above-mentioned chart will make you realize how different the lifespan the dart frogs have!

Let’s get to know their life cycle and other factors which help them survive.

Hungry for knowledge about Dart Frogs? We’ve got you covered in this article. What Animals Can You Keep With Dart Frogs?

What Helps Poison Dart Frogs Survive?

Generally, amphibians can’t live long due to their predators. Again, some amphibian’s lifespan gets too short being stopped at their larvae or juvenile phase. But, you can notice that the luck of poison dart frogs is very well in this case.

Let’s see why the list of potential predators of dart frogs is small.

It takes only one year for dart frogs to become fully grown up. While growing up, the poison dart frogs possess some adaption to survive. Because these adaptions will help them live a long life.

Poison dart frogs’ bright skin color, toxicity, small size, vision, etc help them survive. These unique characteristics reduce their potential predators. So, the dart frogs can live long without any attacks.

Our researches show that their bright skin color works as a sign for their predators. Because the poison dart frogs are deadly to kill a person within 10 minutes. Due to this reason, they have just one potential predator – the fire-bellied snake.

In other words, falling short of the number of predators means a long lifespan of dart frogs.

So, what do you think? Aren’t these adaptions help dart frogs lead a long life?

How Long Do A Dart Frog Live In Captivity?

This fascinating amphibian isn’t hard to keep at all. People love to keep a dart frog as a pet. Like other amphibians and reptiles, the lifespan of dart frogs is different in the wild and captivity.

A dart frog can live up to 12 years in captivity if you ensure proper care and maintenance. Moreover, there are some records of poison dart frogs living more than 20 years in captivity.

But, their survival or long lifespan in captivity is entirely dependent upon your care. Otherwise, they will not live long in captivity too.

Why Does A Dart Frog Live Longer In Captivity?

You might have already notice that a dart frog tends to live longer in captivity. It lives over a decade in captivity, whereas it lives up to 4-8 years in the wild. Have you wondered what’s the secret behind this?

In the wild, several natural aspects are responsible for dart frogs’ shorter lifespan. Such as predators, scarcity of food, habitat loss, natural disasters, and so on. On the other hand, they can live with comfort and plenty of resources in captivity.

In captivity, the dart frog keepers usually try to take the best care. So, a dart frog doesn’t need to struggle for food, shelter, etc in captivity. Hence, it’s quite certain that the captive dart frogs lead a great life.

As a result, a dart frog lives longer in captivity than in the wild. Even there’s a record of a golden poison dart frog living long for 25 years in captivity.

Expand your understanding of Dart Frogs—click here to uncover more! Can You Keep Dart Frogs As Pets? [Pros & Cons]

Why Are Your Dart Frogs Dying?

In the above section, I’ve explained why dart frogs tend to live longer in captivity. If your dart frogs are dying in your captivity, there must be some reasons behind it.

The dart frogs need a specific range of humidity, temperature, etc to survive, even in captivity. If you fail to keep with proper maintenance, they can get attacked by parasites and fall sick to die. In a word, there has to be proper coordination in their food, water, habitat set-up, etc.

So, find out where the mismanagements are. Remember, they need proper care and well-maintenance to live long in captivity. Then you will get a long time accompanying by your pet dart frogs.

Why Are The Poison Dart Frogs Endangered?

It’s a matter of concern that the poison dart frogs are endangered. As a result, they can’t live long and their lifespan gets shorter. Moreover, many species of dart frogs are becoming extinct. Some of them are already extinct.

To save the poison dart frogs from becoming extinct, you need to know first the reasons for their becoming endangered. Thus, I’ve pointed out some reasons here.

Habitat Loss

A large number of dart frogs live in the rainforests of central and South America. Many pieces of research show that the insects, which dart frogs eat, are found in the rainforests. Thus, these help dart frogs store the toxin in their gland.

But, their habitats are getting destroyed for human infrastructure and agricultural purposes. As a result, they lose their natural resources of food, water, shelter, reproduction, etc. Thus, they can’t live long.

Global Trade

The trade-in poison dart frogs are increasing day by day. The dart frogs are victims of global trade for researches, lab dissection, bait, etc. Not to mention, a large number of dart frogs are traded for selling as pets.

So, dart frogs are becoming extinct for this reason. As a result, their lifespan gets shorter too.

Hungry for knowledge about Dart Frogs? We’ve got you covered in this article. Are Dart Frogs Good For Beginners?

Climate Changes

Climate change is a big reason for dart frogs’ short lifespan. When the humidity and temperature get up or down than their survival range, it’s hard for them to survive.

Due to climate change, dart frogs’ habitat becomes dry. As a result, they don’t find proper moist space to lay their eggs.

 Moreover, sometimes they choose to go to the mountainside to lay eggs. When that place gets dry up, they find no place to go. For these reasons, dart frogs’ lifespan gets short.

Toxic Chemicals

You might have known that the dart frogs have porous skin. As a result, they can absorb anything easily.

So, when people spray chemicals in their gardens or farms, the wind and water carry them to the habitats of dart frogs. These chemicals can make them sick. As the consequence, the dart frogs die with a very short lifespan.

Infectious Diseases

Research states that more than 100 species of dart frogs have become extinct due to the chytrid fungus attack. Again, the bacterial infection makes them too ill. Such infectious diseases shorten the dart frogs’ lifespan.

All of these reasons are responsible for dart frogs’ not being able to live long. Otherwise, there will remain possibilities of their enjoying a long lifespan.

Final Words

This beautiful creature can live long if we, humans, ensure their safety. No matter if they are in the wild or captivity, we need to make sure that the dart frogs get their needs fulfilled. Don’t forget to be a good pet keeper to ensure your dart frog’s long lifespan.