How do poison frogs transport their tadpoles after the eggs hatch on land?

Members of the family Dendrobatidae, commonly known as poison frogs, exhibit specialized parental care for their terrestrial eggs. Once the eggs hatch, the tadpoles crawl or swim onto the back of a parent—typically the male, though sometimes the female—where they adhere to the adult's skin.12

The parent then transports the tadpoles to a suitable body of water, such as a stream, a pond, or a water-filled tree hole (like a bromeliad). Upon reaching the destination, the tadpoles slide off the parent's back and into the water to complete their development. While the exact mechanism that allows the tadpoles to adhere to the adult's back remains unknown, this behavior is a critical adaptation for species that lay their eggs on land rather than directly in an aquatic environment.12