We mainly feed our frogs fruit flies, crickets, springtails, and bean beetles. Here at Zoo Atlanta (and nearly every other organization that keeps these frogs), the frogs are fed a different diet than that of the wild. So what gives? Well, although more research needs to be completed, it is hypothesized that poison dart frogs gain their toxicity from their diet – specifically formicine ants and other small invertebrates. Now I bet some of you regular Zoo visitors have seen our poison dart frogs in the same habitats with other animals, or maybe you have even seen one of us Herpetology Team members pick them up. It’s an evolutionary adaptation called aposematic coloration and a way to tell potential predators “Hey, I’m dangerous!” In fact, that is why many of these highly toxic frogs are so brightly colored. It is certainly in a human or predator’s best interest to spit out the frog immediately, as there is no effective treatment or antidote to the poisoning. When a predator consumes one of these frogs, the secreted batrachotoxin goes to work, attacking the nervous system and causing convulsions, muscle contractions, salivation, and even death. Let’s jump straight to the most dangerous toxin our Phyllobates poison dart frogs secrete – batrachotoxin. But obviously some poisons are more dangerous than others. In fact, all juvenile and adult amphibians have granular glands that cover the body – so even the slimy salamanders and the chorus frogs you can find here in Atlanta have poison glands. ![]() ![]() That means there is no central poison gland in frogs, unlike a venomous snake that may have paired venom glands located on the head (which is partly what gives the triangular head-shape in vipers). These frogs secrete noxious chemicals (aka, poison) through granular glands that cover the skin. ![]() Currently at Zoo Atlanta, we have three different species representing three different genera – those being Oophaga, Phyllobates, and Dendrobates. “Poison dart frog” is the general term for a group of colorful frogs from Central and South America (the taxonomic level is Family: Dendrobatidae). But how about the poison dart frogs? The answer may surprise you. Greetings from Scaly Slimy Spectacular! If I were to ask you what the most dangerous animals are in our building, you’d probably mention the Gaboon vipers, African slender-snouted crocodiles, or many rattlesnakes we have in habitats here.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |