What type of frog is the Phyllobates terribilis?
Q: What type of frog is the Phyllobates terribilis?
A: The Phyllobates terribilis is a poison dart frog.
Q: Where does the P. terribilis live?
A: The P. terribilis lives in the Pacific coast of Colombia.
Q: Is it poisonous in captivity?
A: No, in captivity poison dart frogs are not poisonous. It is only in the wild where they are poisonous because of what they eat.
Q: How much toxin does one frog contain?
A: One P. terribilis contains about 1100 µg of toxins which is enough to kill more than 20,000 mice when injected subcutaneously.
Q: Can humans be poisoned by eating animals captured by their darts?
A: No, humans cannot be poisoned by eating animals captured by their darts because the oral potency of batrachotoxin is much lower and most importantly cooking may also destroy the toxins although not all toxins are heat labile.
Q: What family do these beetles belong to that produce the same toxin found in P. terribilis?
A: These beetles belong to the family Melyridae and their relatives in Colombian rainforests could be the source of batrachotoxins found in highly toxic Phyllobates frogs from that region.
Q: What may be responsible for high toxicity levels found in P. terribilis? A:The high toxicity levels found in P .terribilis may be due to eating small insects or other arthropods and one of these may truly be the most poisonous creature on Earth
