Caitie McDonald 9 Bronze

Part of the Dendrobatidae family Native to central and northern areas of South America Over 175 different species All are toxic

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

The frogs excrete a deadly toxin through their skin. It has become known that Poison dart Frogs obtain this poison from their diet; prey such as small insects. The toxin of a frog 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 from the use of their toxic secretion on blow darts, which are used to kill medium sized animals in Columbia. 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: Poison Dart Frogs Stops nerve impulses from being transmitted around the body. Permanently opens channels that are essential to the nervous system.

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

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

Batrachotoxin is highly toxic, and 100 micrograms (approximately the weight of 2 grains of table salt) would be lethal to a 68kg person.

/index.html /index.html dd.htm dd.htm intype.htm intype.htm