Below are selected pictures of poison dart frogs and unrelated, but similar Mantella frogs from Madagascar.
Except where noted, all images are the property of Rhett A. Butler, copyright 1994-2004. Contact me with questions regarding use, reproduction, or purchase of any of the pictures.
Study discovers why poison dart frogs are toxic
Poison poison dart frogs are small, colorful frogs found in the tropical forests of Central and South America. The brilliant coloration of these amphibians warns predators of their extraordinary toxicity -- the golden poison frog (Phyllobates terribilis) of Colombia is said to be lethal if held in one's hand.
Deriving a non-opiate painkiller from a poison dart frog
Toxics produced by poison arrow frogs have applications for human health. In 1974 John Daly of the National Institute of Health collected samples of skin secretions from Epipedobates tricolor, an orange, red, and white frog from Southwestern Ecuador. Studies found that small amounts of the dendrobatid toxin administered to mice worked as an nonaddictive painkiller that blocked pain 200 times more effectively than morphine. Daly named the new compound epidatidine in honor of the frog. Unfortunately further testing found epidatidine to be too toxic for use in humans.
Harmless frogs gain protection by mimicking toxic species
When predators learn to avoid a highly toxic frog, they generalize, and this allows a harmless frog to mimic and be more abundant than a frog whose poison packs less punch, biologists at The University of Texas at Austin studying poison dart frogs in the Amazon have discovered.
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Pictures were taken by Rhett A. Butler, copyright 1996-2009. While these photos are the property of mongabay.com, it may be permissible to use them for non-commercial purposes (like powerpoint presentations and school projects), provided that the images are not altered in any form. Please read this for more details. If you are interested in using an image in a publication please contact me.
