Male poison dart frogs, especially the species Ranitomeya and Oophaga, take their parenting seriously. After the eggs hatch, the male carefully carries the wiggling tadpoles—one at a time—on his back and climbs up trees or plants to find separate little pools of water, often nestled in bromeliad leaves or other tiny water-filled pockets. Each tadpole gets its own mini-pool.

Why the solo swim spots? It reduces sibling rivalry and cannibalism. Some species even return repeatedly to feed the tadpoles with unfertilized eggs.

It’s an astonishing survival strategy—and a lot of hiking for a frog that’s only about the size of a paperclip.