P. ranwellai belongs to a genus of frog known to have deadly tetrodotoxin in its skin secretions – although to date the Ranwella’s horned tree frog has not been tested for this toxin. The yellow-banded poison dart frog is one of the largest species in its genus, Dendrobates, and females are often larger than males. Though not as toxic as some other species, the green and black poison dart frog (Dendrobates auratus) holds enough poison to make a human quite ill. This species is usually bright red, but there are somewhere between 15 and 30 different color morphs, ranging from completely red, to a blue coloration, to green with black spots.

Salmonella: It’s not just poison you have to worry about.

• Not all frogs are poisonous, and most frog species are harmless to humans.
• Exposures resulting from dares or bets have caused deaths (see This Really Happened).
• Because they do not have access to alkaloid-containing insects in captivity, they’re not poisonous.
• The most important poison in newts and salamanders is tetrodotoxin (TTX), one of the most dangerous toxins known to man.
• Captive breeding programs in zoos and research institutions help maintain genetic diversity and provide opportunities for scientific study without impacting wild populations.
• The degree of toxicity varies among different frog species, and some are more toxic than others.

The most important poison in newts and salamanders is tetrodotoxin (TTX), one of the most dangerous toxins known to man. It acts on the nervous system and can lead to muscle paralysis. TTX-containing newts are found in Oregon, California, and southern Alaska. Any brightly colored, rough-skinned newt or salamander likely contains TTX. However, they only cause irritation or infection as they are carriers of salmonella bacteria. These amphibians are social animals and often stay together in pairs or small groups.

What to Know About Poisonous Frogs

• While not all frogs are poisonous, many possess toxic skin secretions, with varying levels of toxicity depending on the species.
• It’s a good example of how even the smallest creatures can be important in science.
• The main toxin, batrachotoxin, causes some strange effects on a victim’s nervous system.

The bones pick up venom as they pass through toxic skin glands and transfer it to the unfortunate animal before them. A predator on the receiving end of such a sting is in for a bad time. Luckily for the researcher, Greening’s frog venom is the milder of the two species’ weaponry, being “only” twice as powerful as that of Bothrops pitviper snakes. Golden poison frogs inhabit a remarkably small geographic range in the tropical forests of Colombia’s Pacific coast. They are primarily found in the Chocó Department, with concentrated populations in areas near the municipalities of Timbiquí and El Tambo. These frogs thrive in the humid, lowland rainforests with elevations below 200 meters, where they live among the leaf litter of the forest floor.

The Emberá would then carefully dip their blowgun darts into this secretion, creating lethal hunting weapons. A single frog could poison up to 50 darts, and the toxin remained potent for over a year. Animals struck by these darts would be paralyzed within minutes, allowing hunters to take down monkeys and other prey that would otherwise be difficult to reach in the forest canopy. Poisonous frogs produce and store alkaloid poisons or toxins in their skin, which makes them harmful to touch. They are commonly called poison arrow frogs or poison dart frogs.

Despite its deadly nature, batrachotoxin’s medical potential remains largely untapped. Scientists are working to develop synthetic versions and derivatives that retain useful properties while eliminating lethal effects. Its scientific name is Phyllobates terribilis, which roughly translates to “dreadful leaf-climber”. It’s believed that adult golden poison frogs contain enough poison to kill two full-grown elephants. Not all frogs are poisonous, and the severity of these reactions depends on the specific frog species and the amount of toxin involved.

Historically, the indigenous Embera Choco people of western Colombia have used the frogs’ poison to aid with their hunting and warfare. When the frogs are impaled and exposed to heat they “sweat” their poison out. This sweat can then be used to coat the tips of arrows or other weapons. The toxin found on the skin of Dendrobatidae is a type of alkaloid – a class of nitrogen-containing compounds that have strong effects in humans. Scientists have long debated the source of the poison found on the frogs, but an article by the University of Chicago attempts to put this question to rest. The Golden Poison Frog is considered the world’s most toxic amphibian.

These include the spiny-headed tree frog (Anotheca spinosa) and Ranwella’s horned tree frog (Polypedates ranwellai). But the authors of the 2015 study suggested that there may be some poisonous amphibians that, if studied more closely, may actually be venomous. The venom of the Brazilian Greening’s frog is twice as powerful as Bothrops vipers. But this species’ head spines are more developed and its skin glands are larger, allowing more venom to be secreted and injected. These tiny frogs don’t breed until four years of age, and they hibernate during winters. Unfortunately, like so many other frog species, it is critically endangered with populations plummeting over the last three decades due to tourism, pollution, and chytrid fungus.

Beautiful but Deadly Poisonous Frogs

These little jewels of the rainforest need rescuing and conservation to prevent their species from disappearing and affecting Earth’s natural ecology. Meet the brightly coloured sea slugs committing serial stinging-cell crimes.

The variation in toxicity between these closely related species provides evolutionary biologists with a natural laboratory for studying how defense mechanisms develop and intensify over time. The term “frog poison” can refer to a wide range of toxins found in different frog species, and not all frogs are poisonous. In fact, the majority of frog species are harmless to humans. Handling or ingesting the secretions of poisonous frogs can be dangerous and should be avoided. Researchers have also been studying these toxins for potential medicinal applications, such as pain management and treating certain medical are frogs poisonous to humans conditions, due to their unique properties. One of the most remarkable aspects of golden poison frogs is that specimens raised in captivity lack the lethal toxicity of their wild counterparts.

The Risk of Frog Poisoning to Humans

However, a trained eye can distinguish mimic poison frogs from poisonous frogs based on their colors and patterns. Poisonous frog species belong to the family Dendrobatidae. When a predator eats a poisonous frog, the toxins cause reactions like swelling, nausea, and muscle paralysis. A tiny drop of frog poison can kill birds and small animals. Frog poison refers to the toxic substances or compounds found in the skin secretions of certain frog species. These secretions can be highly toxic and serve as a defense mechanism against potential predators.

How to Identify Poisonous Frogs

However, recent findings suggest the title of the deadliest frog goes to a venomous frog (yes, I meant to type venomous) known as Bruno’s casque-headed frog. Two particular species to watch for are Cane Toads and American Toads. American Toads (Anaxyrus americanus) include a few sub-species and they inhabit Central and Eastern United States. You’ll be happy to know that toads cannot excrete the substance at will. A playful cat or dog might fall victim to a toad if they bite and squeeze out the toxin.

There are many different toxins but they’re collectively known as bufotoxins. Moreover, they don’t have scales or fur to protect themselves from the sun or microorganisms found in the water they live in. Ingestion of TTX initially causes lip and tongue numbness, followed by numbness of the face, arms, and legs. This is followed by dizziness, drooling, and muscle weakness. It can quickly progress to paralysis of the entire body, including the respiratory muscles.

The golden poison frog stands as one of nature’s most remarkable paradoxes—a tiny, vibrantly colored amphibian capable of delivering death with a touch. The complex relationship between these frogs, their diet, and their toxicity illustrates the intricate ecological connections that develop in biodiverse ecosystems like Colombia’s rainforests. Golden poison frogs exhibit fascinating reproductive behaviors that diverge from many other amphibian species. Unlike frogs that produce hundreds or thousands of eggs, female golden poison frogs typically lay small clutches of 4-6 eggs in moist leaf litter on the forest floor.

It’s a good example of how even the smallest creatures can be important in science. What makes batrachotoxin particularly dangerous is its stability and the fact that it can be absorbed through intact skin. Unlike some toxins that break down quickly outside their host organism, batrachotoxin remains potent even on surfaces that have been touched by the frog. This persistence made the toxin valuable for indigenous hunting practices and has complicated scientific research, as researchers must exercise extreme caution when handling these specimens. The toxin is so potent that even dried museum specimens collected decades ago can contain harmful levels of batrachotoxin. If you’re looking to learn how to identify poisonous frogs, this guide is a great place to start.