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Golden Frog, or Poison dart frog
Photo by Peter Singfield, Xaibe Village
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Click photo for larger version
This is a close up of my resident (in the kitchen) tree frog.
Now -- if I dipped a pellet in the fluid that runs our from those poors
when these frogs get excited --- that becomes a very lethal pellet gun
indeed.
"When a wild animal is shot with a poison-tipped dart, it will die within
minutes from the neurotoxin, making additional shots unnecessary to kill
it. Poison darts made from either fresh or fermented batrachotoxin are
enough to drop monkeys and birds in their tracks since nerve paralysis is
almost instantaneous"
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I have a few different species hanging out in my bath house --- as well,
but this one in my kitchen is the infamous "Golden Frog" -- read more about
this below.
"Even a very small amount of the batrachotoxin found in the skins of the
Golden Poison Dart Frog and at least two other species of Phyllobates frogs
- on the order of just 40 micrograms - can be fatal"
So - next time you come visit -- stop worrying about the snakes so much
-- worry about the leetle frogs!!
Poison dart frog
The poison dart frog, poison arrow frog, dart frog or poison frog, is the
common name given to the group of frogs belonging to the family
Dendrobatidae. Poison dart frogs are native to two geographical regions:
Central America and South America. The Green and Black Poison Dart Frog
(Dendrobates auratus) has been introduced to a few Hawaiian islands. (Note:
Poison frogs are widely called poison arrow frogs or poison dart frogs,
reflecting the widespread notion that the frogs are used by indigenous
South American tribes in the manufacture of poison that is spread on arrows
or blow-gun darts. Since most of the species are not used for this purpose,
many experts prefer that poison frog is used for the group's common name.)
Poison dart frogs are a group of small, diurnal, and often brightly colored
frogs native to Central and South America. These frogs received their
common name from the numerous types of poisonous alkaloids found in the
skin of many species. The most poisonous dart frog is the Golden Poison
Dart Frog (Phyllobates terribilis).
Poison dart frogs are popularly characterized by their brightly colored
skin and small size. The skin color can range from bright orange and black
to blue or yellow. However, members of the most species-rich genus,
Colostethus, are generally brown. Poison dart frogs range in size from 1
centimetre (0.2 in) to 6 centimetres (2.5 in) in length, depending on the
age and species of the frog.
Toxicity
According to amphibian expert William Duellman, there are about 220 species
of poison frogs. Most species are not toxic to animals and humans. More
than 100 toxins have been identified in the skin secretions of poison dart
frogs, especially Dendrobates and Phyllobates. Members of the genus
Dendrobates (of which there are at least 44 known species) are also known
as "poison dart" or "poison arrow" frogs. However, only frogs of the genus
Phyllobates produce the extremely potent neurotoxin, batrachotoxin, and its
derivatives. Even a very small amount of the batrachotoxin found in the
skins of the Golden Poison Dart Frog and at least two other species of
Phyllobates frogs - on the order of just 40 micrograms - can be fatal. For
the Golden Poison Dart Frog, merely touching the frog's back with the tip
of the tongue could be enough to transfer a lethal dose of poison (which is
most readily absorbed via mucous membranes).
Certain tribes in South America, such as the Noanamá Chocó and Emberá Chocó
indians of western Colombia, dip the tips of their blowgun darts in the
poison found on the skin of three species of Phyllobates. In north Chocó,
Phyllobates aurotaenia is used while to the south, in the departments of
Risaralda and Choco, P. bicolor is used. In Cauca, even southern Cauca, P.
terribilis is used for dart making. (Despite sometimes being called "poison
arrow frogs" no examples are known of arrows, as opposed to darts, being
poisoned with Phyllobates poison). No other species are used for this
purpose. The poison is generally collected by roasting the frogs over a
fire, but the toxins in P. terribilis are so strong that it is sufficient
to dip the dart in the back of the frog without killing it.
When a wild animal is shot with a poison-tipped dart, it will die within
minutes from the neurotoxin, making additional shots unnecessary to kill
it. Poison darts made from either fresh or fermented batrachotoxin are
enough to drop monkeys and birds in their tracks since nerve paralysis is
almost instantaneous.
There is considerable evidence that toxicity in these frogs is derived from
their diet: primarily ants, mites, and beetles. These toxins are passed
from the arthropod to the frog, then sequestered in glands on the
amphibian's skin. Frogs brought from the wild into captivity and fed a
regular captive diet, usually fruit flies or pin-head (hatchling) crickets,
eventually lose their toxicity.
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