Colorful frogs: 12 of the world's prettiest frog species

↓ Keep reading to watch this amazing video

Frogs come in so many beautiful, vibrant colors! From the bright blue poison dart frog to the sheen of the Amazon milk frog, these creatures are as charming as they are unique.

Their bright colors also serve a purpose: Most brightly colored frogs are poisonous. Their colorful skin warns that predators might try to eat them otherwise.

It's funny how these frogs look so amazing to us, because that's the opposite of what evolution intended! Fortunately, it's still fending off predators in the wild.

Here are 12 of the most beautiful frogs in the world.

1. Blue Poison Dart Frog

These frogs are bright blue with black eyes. They have black spots that are large along their backs and gradually get smaller along their bodies.

Poison dart frogs eat insects, including poisonous ants. This causes their own skin to be poisonous to predators trying to eat the frogs.

Poison dart frogs are about two inches long and have a lifespan of six years. Their habitat is limited as they live on the "rainforest islands" of Suriname. These "islands" are cooler areas of the rainforest with daytime temperatures of 70-80 degrees Fahrenheit and humidity.

2. Red-Eyed Tree Frog

The red-eyed tree frog is incredibly colorful. They have green bodies, white bellies, reddish-orange feet, and blue and yellow markings on the sides.

Their eyes are big, round, and—you guessed it—red!

These tiny frogs are only 2-3 inches long, with females being larger than males. Despite their various colors, these frogs are not poisonous.

Their diet consists of insects such as crickets, moths and flies.

Red-eyed tree frogs live in tropical rainforests and love heat and humidity. Their lifespan is about five years.

3. Golden Poison Frog

Golden poison frogs are yellow to orange, like little gold nuggets! They have black eyes and small black markings on their bodies.

These frogs are tiny, growing to less than two inches long, but their tiny bodies harbor an incredible amount of poison! The poison of one frog can kill ten people.

They live in the rainforests off the coast of Colombia and are an endangered species. Most golden poison frogs live about 6-10 years.

4. Mimic a poison frog

Mimic poison frogs are yellow or orange in color, with blue legs and hind legs. They have large, long, gorgeous black markings on their backs and small dots on their toes.

They are a type of poison dart frog native to Peru. Their venom is mild, but their appearance mimics that of more dangerous species.

Their lifespan is about 4-8 years.

5. Amazon milk frog

The Amazon milk frog is named for its venom, a milky substance it secretes through its skin when the frog is threatened.

These frogs are stocky in appearance with brown and light blue bodies. Their eyes are big and bright.

The Amazon milk frog is native to South America and can live 8 years or more.

6. Mexican Chunky Frog

The Mexican dumpy frog is a tree frog with a blue-green body and a tan belly. These beautiful frogs have dark eyes and can grow up to 4 inches in length.

These frogs mate in the leaves and their tadpoles actually drop into the water after hatching from their eggs! Their feet are very sticky, perfect for climbing.

They can live up to 20 years in captivity, but have a shorter lifespan in the wild.

7. Bornean eared frog

These frogs are bronze to tan in color with darker markings. Their name comes from the "ears" behind the eyes, which are actually part of their skull.

The Borneo eared frog is 2.5-3.5 inches long. They live in trees and can live for more than 5 years.

8. Dyed Dart Frogs

Pigmented dart frogs come in yellow, blue and black. Their heads and backs are bright yellow, while the rest of their bodies are electric blue. Their entire bodies are covered in black, mottled markings.

This magnificent species is the subject of legend. Its name comes from the myth that frog skin was used to dye parrot feathers.

These frogs are very poisonous due to the poisonous insects they eat. They live in Brazil and live about 5 years.

9. Phantom Poison Frog

These adorable critters are red with a creamy white stripe running back from the top of their head. They also have spots of the same color on their legs.

The frogs are not even an inch long and due to their insect diet, these frogs are quite poisonous in the wild. They live in the forests of Ecuador and inhabit leaf litter near bodies of water.

They can live up to 15 years in captivity, but their lifespan in the wild is usually much shorter.

10. Adorable Poison Frog

These graceful amphibians are black with thin yellow stripes on the sides. There are patterns on their legs, and their eyes are dark and completely blended into the skin!

Adorable poison frogs are tiny, measuring only 0.94 inches in size. These animals live in Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Panama and are often seen on rocks near streams.

They are known to have lived in captivity for more than 15 years.

11. Red-backed poison dart frog

These amphibians have solid red backs, blue or white bodies, and black eyes and markings. They're less than half an inch long and weigh just over a gram!

Like all poison dart frogs, despite their small size, they are surprisingly venomous! They are also very beautiful frogs.

They live in leaf litter or tree roots in Central and South America and are known to live about 8-12 years.

12. Green and black poison dart frog

Neon green and black, these banded frogs live on the forest floor.

Native to Central and South America, they can now also be found in Hawaii. Their toxicity actually varies by region, with frogs found in Hawaii being less toxic due to their diet.

Green and black poison dart frogs grow to about 1.5 inches long and can sometimes live for more than 10 years.

Next:

• Saw an alligator biting an electric eel with 860 volts
• The 15 Deepest Lakes in America
• Watch rare coyotes and bobcats now