Poison Dart Frog Adventure

This poison dart frog adventure was one of the coolest wildlife experiences I have ever had!

I went on a herping tour focused on poison dart frogs with Los Naturalistas in western Panama in February of 2018. This is a vlog of my one day trip with my guide Abel Batista and his assistant Michele. It was one of coolest experiences I've ever had in my life. To hold such an amazing frog is truly surreal!

Also, you might note I already posted this video and I am reposting it now. I had to repost it for various reasons. Sorry about that, but it is worth watching again because there are a lot of great changes to the video! Also, the thumbnail of this video has a species of frog not native to Panama, I just want to acknowledge that because this video takes place in Panama. I used this photo because it was the only photo of a Poison Dart Frog I had access to when I published this video.

I highly recommend Abel and his tour company for wildlife tours. The tour was very special because Abel is a trained academic with a PhD and has published almost 30 papers on the ecology and conservation various reptiles and amphibians. Not only is he great at spotting wildlife but he is also extremely knowledgeable. I also found both him and Michele inspiring for anyone with a love of nature. There is nothing like going out into the field with a top scientist.

We saw a handful of species of frogs, including many morphs of O. Pumilio, a poison dart frog. In this video you will learn much about the natural history, conservation, and ecology of poison dart frogs. One issue I explore is the threat of chytridiomychosis, a disease caused by an invasive chytrid fungus affecting amphibians all over the world.

Catching a frog is an activity that needs to be done with care. All of the wildlife handling done in this video was closely monitored by trained professionals and no wildlife was removed from its natural habitat (one conservation story I touch on in the video is the illegal removal of frogs in the wild for the illegal pet trade). I also stress that you should not catch or handle a poison dart frog in the wild while breaking trail without assistance from an experienced professional because not only could it be harmful to a species of concern, but they are also toxic animals.

You can customize your tour with Los Naturalistas for your own wildlife interests. My tour was $200 for the day, but we covered a lot of distance, and your total price may be split between several people.

I hope this video inspires people to look at frogs in a different way than before. Most people gave me confusing looks when I told them I went on a poison dart frog tour, but after watching this video you will see that going on a poison dart frog tour is an absolutely amazing experience. If you come to Panama, contact Los Naturalistas, and go on a tour with them. It will be one of the coolest things you will ever do.

Los Naturalistas website: https://www.losnaturalistas.com/engli...

Los Naturalistas instagram:   / losnaturalistas  

If you are interested in more content like this, subscribe to the channel. My name is Eddie and I am a biologist who teaches people how to enjoy nature. I do wildlife tourism guides and vlogs, app and gear reviews, natural history lessons, and much more.