World's Most Deadliest Frogs
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Deadly Frogs
Who would ever think that a brightly and colorful frog could be so ever dangerous? Well, think again. Deep in the tropical rain forests of South America and in places such as the Amazon or Peru, these deadly bright creatures can instantly kill either a predator who happens to decide to attack them for food or from them being handled by picking them up and the mucus from their skin penetrating into the skin of their unfortunate victim. Native Indians or the indigenous people of the Rainforest have used the venom of these creatures either in warfare with neighboring tribes or as a weapon to hunt for their food. The poison emanating from these small, slimy creatures and used by the Native Indians in their dart guns have dropped many an enemy or food source.
Poison Dart Frogs
These frogs are sometimes referred to as "Dart Frogs" or poisonous frogs and are some of the world's most beautiful frogs in the South American rainforest. Dart Frogs are small dwelling frogs and range in size from a few centimeters such as the Strawberry Dart Frog to a little larger than three inches such as the Dyeing Poison Frog. As one can imagine, these frogs are named after the poison they secrete from their skin. Tribesman or Indians living in South American used these secretions to make poison darts. These darts were later used in Tribal Warafare in addition to being used for hunting. There is one type of Dart Frog that stands out as the one that many of the tribes prefer and that farog is called the "Golden Poison Dart Frog." This frog is one of the larger species of Poison Arrow Frog. Like its relative, the Blue Dart Frog, it reaches a length of approximately three inches.
Another type of Dart Frog is the ykellow frong and with this bright ykellow color, it really stand out when traveling through the Rainforest, almost advertising to all animals that come in contact with it how poisonous it can be. It has been estimated that there is enough poison or "Batrachotoxins in its secretions to kill over 10,000 rats or 7 or more human beings. There have been stories from the natives living in this area of South America relating how they have lost dogs and even children when they took a drink of water that a leaf Terribilils crossed over felled into a bowl or cup of water.
Even those these Dart Frogs are especially venomous, the poison, Batrachotoxins particularly found in the Gold Poison Dart Frog, can benefit mankind. Scientist have been aable to isolate a certain component found in their toxins that has been found to be 1000 times more effective than morphine in treating pain with zero addictive properties. But the problem is that scientists are still unsure how these tiny frogs obtain their toxic characteristics. Scientists have asked themselves, "why is this so?" Many top thinkers believe that these type of poisonous frogs obtain their toxicity from their diet which consists of insects and primarily ants. And to go even further, many feel that these frogs rely on a specific species of plant which also includes fungus. This shows how everything is intertwined with nature in some form or another.
Another type of Dart Frog is the ykellow frong and with this bright ykellow color, it really stand out when traveling through the Rainforest, almost advertising to all animals that come in contact with it how poisonous it can be. It has been estimated that there is enough poison or "Batrachotoxins in its secretions to kill over 10,000 rats or 7 or more human beings. There have been stories from the natives living in this area of South America relating how they have lost dogs and even children when they took a drink of water that a leaf Terribilils crossed over felled into a bowl or cup of water.
Even those these Dart Frogs are especially venomous, the poison, Batrachotoxins particularly found in the Gold Poison Dart Frog, can benefit mankind. Scientist have been aable to isolate a certain component found in their toxins that has been found to be 1000 times more effective than morphine in treating pain with zero addictive properties. But the problem is that scientists are still unsure how these tiny frogs obtain their toxic characteristics. Scientists have asked themselves, "why is this so?" Many top thinkers believe that these type of poisonous frogs obtain their toxicity from their diet which consists of insects and primarily ants. And to go even further, many feel that these frogs rely on a specific species of plant which also includes fungus. This shows how everything is intertwined with nature in some form or another.
Poisonous Frogs
Poisonous Frogs of South America
Venemous Frogs
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usastruck
Jul 20, 2009 @ 8:24 pm | delete
- Very interesting!
I didn't know there were poisonous frogs...
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Habitat of Poisonous Dart Frog
These frog are endemic to humid, tropical environments of Central and Latin America. They are found in tropical rain forest including Bolivia, Puerto Rico, Columbia, Peru, Ecuador, and Panama just to name a few places in the Southern Hemisphere.
videos on poisonous frogs
Captive Care Of these Frogs
Wild caught specimens can maintain toxicity for some time so care should be taken when handling them. While there is scant scientific on the life span of poison frogs retagging frequencies indicate it can range from one to three years in the wild. In capitivity, most species thrive where the humidity is around 72 degrees fahrenheit during the day and no lower thant 60 degrees Fahrenheit at night.
Most of the really small colorful frogs are poisonous in the wild. But these frogs tend to lose a lot, if not all, of their toxicity when bred in captivity (even if they were originally caught in the wild!). This is largly due to the lack of variety that these critters would normally be getting in their diet in the wild. A huge amount of their toxicity is because of an ant that they eat in the wild which no sane pet owner gives them in captivity.
Despite it's label as the most poisonous of frogs, even the bright yellow p. terriblis isn't so poisonous that a human could die by just touching it in the wild.
The poison cannot permeate our skin.
If, on the other hand, there is a cut on the skin, however, before you have time to say 'oops that frog is poisonous' you're a goner, at least in the case of p. terriblis! Same goes for if you forget after playing with this pretty frog and accidentally put your hand in your mouth!
Some tribes in rainforests dip their arrows in frog poison to make them deadly weapons. That's probably where "poison dart frogs" got their common name...
Not all the colorful frogs are poisonous.
Some imitate the poisonous ones with color, and apparently the warning is enough to protect them from potential predators.
Most of the really small colorful frogs are poisonous in the wild. But these frogs tend to lose a lot, if not all, of their toxicity when bred in captivity (even if they were originally caught in the wild!). This is largly due to the lack of variety that these critters would normally be getting in their diet in the wild. A huge amount of their toxicity is because of an ant that they eat in the wild which no sane pet owner gives them in captivity.
Despite it's label as the most poisonous of frogs, even the bright yellow p. terriblis isn't so poisonous that a human could die by just touching it in the wild.
The poison cannot permeate our skin.
If, on the other hand, there is a cut on the skin, however, before you have time to say 'oops that frog is poisonous' you're a goner, at least in the case of p. terriblis! Same goes for if you forget after playing with this pretty frog and accidentally put your hand in your mouth!
Some tribes in rainforests dip their arrows in frog poison to make them deadly weapons. That's probably where "poison dart frogs" got their common name...
Not all the colorful frogs are poisonous.
Some imitate the poisonous ones with color, and apparently the warning is enough to protect them from potential predators.
Toxicity and Medicine
Many poison dart frogs secrete lipophilic alkaloid toxins through their skin. This assists them to be active alongside potential predators during the day.
Chemical extracted from the skin of one type Epipedobates tricolor may be shown to have some medicinal value. One such painkiller called epibatidine which is 200 times more potent than morphine. Research has also shown secretions form dendrobatids may show some promise as muscle relaxants, heart stimulants, and appetite suppressants.
Chemical extracted from the skin of one type Epipedobates tricolor may be shown to have some medicinal value. One such painkiller called epibatidine which is 200 times more potent than morphine. Research has also shown secretions form dendrobatids may show some promise as muscle relaxants, heart stimulants, and appetite suppressants.
What Animals Have A Natural Defense To This Poison?
Animals that resist poison:
Amazon ground snake (Liophis emonephelus)
Amazon ground snake (Liophis emonephelus)
Reproduction
Reproduction:
Red and blue poison-arrow frog (Dendrobates pumilio) carry their newely hatach tadpoles into the canopy. Tapoles stick to the mucus on the back of their parents. Once in the upper reaches of the rainforest tress parents deposit their young in the pools of water that accumulate in epiphytic plants. Tapoles feed on invertebrates in their aboreal nursery and their mother will even supplement their diet depositing eggs into the water.
Red and blue poison-arrow frog (Dendrobates pumilio) carry their newely hatach tadpoles into the canopy. Tapoles stick to the mucus on the back of their parents. Once in the upper reaches of the rainforest tress parents deposit their young in the pools of water that accumulate in epiphytic plants. Tapoles feed on invertebrates in their aboreal nursery and their mother will even supplement their diet depositing eggs into the water.
Scientific Classification
:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Suborder: Neobatrachia
Superfamily: Dendrobatoidea
Family Dendrobatidae
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Suborder: Neobatrachia
Superfamily: Dendrobatoidea
Family Dendrobatidae
Diseases of Dart Frogs
One major disease of Dart Frogs is called Chytridiomycosis which is an infection caused by the fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis. This fungus has been attributed to the dramatic decline or even to the point of extinction in Central America, South America, western North America, and the Caribbean region.
This disease was first discovered in 1993 and Queensland.
This disease was first discovered in 1993 and Queensland.
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aj2008
Jul 7, 2009 @ 3:30 am | delete
- Welcome to Squidoo - I have always been fascinated that such a small creature can be so deadly. We like frogs but prefer the ones we have in our garden pond!
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