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