{"id":486,"date":"2018-05-04T18:39:09","date_gmt":"2018-05-04T18:39:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.frogpets.com\/?p=486"},"modified":"2022-08-28T00:25:34","modified_gmt":"2022-08-28T00:25:34","slug":"how-to-tell-if-a-frog-is-poisonous","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.frogpets.com\/how-to-tell-if-a-frog-is-poisonous\/","title":{"rendered":"How To Tell If A Frog Is Poisonous"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

There are over 4,700 species of frogs inhabiting every continent in the world except Antarctica. They come in different sizes and colors. Some are arboreal, some terrestrial, and some aquatic. But are frogs poisonous? And if so, how dangerous are they?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It may surprise you to learn that frogs (and toads) have toxins on their skin. These toxins are a frog’s defense mechanism against predators. They range from mild to dangerous.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because toxins are a substance that can be absorbed or ingested, it’s considered poison. Scientists refer to this type as “bio-toxins” or “natural toxins” because it is produced by a living creature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This post is meant to show you how to identify the poisonous frogs and teach you a little about bio-toxins.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don’t worry – most frogs are harmless to humans. Regardless, there are a few species that actually are dangerous.<\/strong> I will show you how to identify them based on their appearance and location in the world. Aside from toxins, amphibians are known to carry salmonella – but more on this later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  1. Frogs produce toxins (making them “poisonous”).<\/li>
  2. Most are harmless to humans.<\/li>
  3. They’re known to carry salmonella.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Identifying The Dangerous Frogs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
    \"Poison
    Various Poison Dart Frogs. Illustration credit: shanesabindesign \/ Adobe Stock<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    The “dangerous” frogs are the ones carrying toxins that are potentially life-threatening when touched or ingested. They’re the ones you should avoid. Luckily, there aren’t too many of them and they’re easy to identify.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    They come from the Dendrobatidae<\/em> family; commonly known as poison dart frogs<\/strong>. These brightly colored frogs inhabit the rainforests of Central and South America. While pretty to look at, they contain a powerful alkaloid toxin known as Batrachotoxin<\/a> (BTX), which works by causing paralysis when entering the bloodstream.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Batrachotoxin is likely the most famous amphibian toxin due to the popularity of dart frogs (Dendrobatidae<\/em>)[1]<\/a><\/sup>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    What Poison Dart Frogs Look Like<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    The most defining feature of poison dart frogs is their color. There are over 100 species of poison-dart frogs; all of which have varying colors, patterns, and sizes. Below are two pictures for examples.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    \"Poison<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
    \"Poison<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    Notice the different colors. The one on the left is black, having blue and green speckles on its legs and a yellow-green stripe on the back. The one on the right is mostly yellow. Can you spot the similarities? The general shape and build are the same. Both have a pointed nose and black eyes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Poison dart frogs have different patterns and colors but they all have the same general shape with few exceptions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The deadliest frog belongs to the Phyllobates Genus. Its scientific name is Phyllobates terribilis<\/strong>, which roughly translates to “dreadful leaf-climber”. The common name for this species is Golden poison frog<\/strong>. It’s believed that adult golden poison frogs contain enough poison to kill two full-grown elephants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Only a handful of species within the Dendrobates family are considered deadly to humans. In fact, at the time of writing this, I was unable to find a single published report of someone dying as the result of a frog.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Researchers believe poison frogs produce toxins after eating alkaloid-containing insects. In fact, hobbyists have successfully kept dart frogs as pets<\/a> for years. Because they do not have access to alkaloid-containing insects in captivity, they’re not poisonous. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    Interesting Facts About Colorful Animals<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    In the animal world, bright colors mean “stop!” “I’m dangerous”. This system tends to work, as bright colors often suffice in deterring would-be predators from attacking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    A term for this warning coloration is Aposematic<\/strong>. Example: “the dart frog has aposematic coloration.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Not all colorful frogs are as deadly. Some species mimic poisonous frogs in appearance, all the while having a very weak toxin in comparison. Others simply have bright colors due to years and years of adapting to a certain region.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

    Utilize the illustration and photos above to see what poison-dart frogs look like. This, along with what you learned, will help you to tell if a frog is poisonous or not. More accurately, it will help you identify the dangerous ones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Where Poison Frogs Live<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
    \"Where<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    Knowing where poison-dart frogs live is useful because it helps you determine whether or not you should be concerned. They’re adapted to a warm, high-humidity, rainforest environment and can’t survive in much of the US, Canada, or the UK.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Poison Dart Frogs are endemic to Central and South America. They thrive in the rainforests where humidity is high.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    From parts of Bolivia and Brazil in South America, up to Nicaragua in Central America. In addition to this, Green and Black Dart Frogs were introduced into Hawaii.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Up until now, we’ve covered the most dangerous frogs, what they look like, and where they’re located. However, frogs aren’t the only poisonous member of the Anura order. Toads have toxins, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Poisonous Toads: Bufotoxin<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
    \"Cane
    Toxin is secreted from the parotoid glands of a cane toad. Photo credit: ourherpclass.blogspot.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    There are some differences between true frogs and true toads, but that’s a topic for another post. Because people often use the words “frog” and “toad” interchangeably, I’ve decided to include them in this article.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Yes, toads are poisonous too.<\/strong> They secret a toxin from parotoid glands which are located just behind their eyes. It’s called Bufotoxin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    By the way, “true toads” are found in the Bufonidae family. Hence the name “bufotoxin”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Bufotoxin<\/a> is relatively weak in comparison to that of dart frogs (Batrachotoxin). Regardless, it’s worth mentioning here because toads are abundant and can be dangerous to small animals like cats and dogs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Toads are found all over the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, and other parts of the world. And much like frogs, the potency of their toxins differs from one species to the next.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Related:<\/p>\n\n\n\n