A drop of the venom from the skin of some poison dart frogs is enough to kill a human being.
Their small bodies of bright lemony yellow, tomato red, royal blue, or chartreuse with dark spots are arrestingly beautiful. Photo by Craig Erickson for Save The Frogs.Ĭolombian dart frogs are like living jewels. The Threat of the Illegal Wildlife TradeĪ poison dart frog ( Dendrobates-terriblis). His deft maneuvers around the switchbacks had me clutching my seat, but I seemed to be in good hands as we headed to his frog breeding center, Tesoros de Colombia, or Treasures of Colombia. Racing was his therapy, he said, grinning. The conservation projects he works on here in Colombia can be incredibly stressful. He is also an accomplished race car driver, so we were making good time. When I first met him, I quickly noticed the merriment in his smiling eyes and saw a glimpse of his sharp wit, which I would learn was key to his resilience. Ivan with his athletic build, chiseled jaw, and dark black hair wore a black leather jacket and radiated positive energy. Ivan, a zoologist, internationally renowned frog expert, and pioneer in innovative conservation strategies, was driving. Ivan Lozano’s red pickup sped through the tangled dark green forests of the Andes as we descended from Bogotá, Colombia to a slightly warmer elevation where poison dart frogs thrive.
