Caitie McDonald 9 Bronze

Poison Dart Frog

Poison Dart Frog- Introduction

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.

Poison Dart Frog - ToxinsIt 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.

Leimadophis epinephelusPoison 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

Affect on the

nervous system:

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.

Affect on the

nervous system:

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.

Affect on the

nervous system:

Poison Dart Frogs

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

Affect on the

nervous system:

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.

Affect on the

nervous system:

In the worst case scenario:

BIBLIOGRAPHY• http://library.thinkquest.org/C007974/2_2poi.htm• http://

chemweb.calpoly.edu/cbailey/377/PapersW08/PaulM/index.html

• http://www.bio.davidson.edu/Courses/anphys/2000/Todd/Todd.htm

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poison_dart_frog