Caitie McDonald 9 Bronze

Poison dart frogs, part of the Dendrobatidae family, are native to central and northern areas of South America. There are over 175 different species of Dendrobatidae, all being somewhat toxic, some more than others.

Poison Dart Frogs can vary from 1.5 centimetres in adult length to 6cm, and weigh on average 2 grams. They are brightly coloured to warn off potential predators.

It has become evident after a series of tests that Poison dart Frogs obtain the poison that they excrete through their skin from their diet; prey such as small insects. The toxin of a frogs bred in captivity wouldn’t be as strong as a wild Poison dart Frog because it wouldn’t have these certain prey available to them.

Poison Dart Frogs are not affected by their own poison because their body has become immune to it’s affects. However other animals have also developed immunity to the poison, such as the snake, Leimadophis epinephelus.

Case Study Poison Dart Frogs received their name because of the use of their toxic secretion on blow darts, which are used to kill medium sized animals. If hit by one if these darts the victim will experience detrimental affects to their nervous system and often death.

The poison in the toxic secretion used in blow darts is Batrachotoxin, a nerve poison, discovered by American scientists John Delly and Bernard Whitcup.

If someone were to come into contact with a Poison Dart Frog the same outcome would occur. Once batrachotoxin enters the body its stops nerve impulses from being transmitted around the body. It does this by permanently opening channels that are essential to the nervous system. Poison Dart Frogs

Because nerve impulses can no longer be transmitted, it is common for victims to experience heart attacks.

After just one minute the heartbeat begins to fasten; eventually the contractions of the heart muscle become so strong that a heart attack is likely. After a few minutes the whole nervous system begins to be affected; paralysing the body. There is no antidote for it’s affects. In the worst case scenario :

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