FROGS AS BIOWEAPONS
Not all frogs flee when they’re threatened. The golden poison
arrow frog (Phyllobates terribilis), which is endemic to the Pacific
coast of Colombia, employs a more effective defense strategy.
Within their skin glands the brightly colored creatures store
an extraordinarily lethal toxin that is powerful enough to kill
practically any predator. The milligram of toxin in an average
frog is enough to kill 10,000 mice, or 10 to 20 human beings,or two African elephants. Hunters from some of the indigenous
cultures in Colombia tip their arrows with this poison and use
them when they are stalking their prey. Interestingly, golden
poison arrow frogs are only dangerous in the wild and lose
their toxicity when held in captivity. That’s because they do not
produce the toxin themselves but rather acquire it by eating
small beetles of the genus Choresine.GIVE ME A
BREAK!
Producing multiple “ribbits” per second
for hours on end takes a lot of energy when
the sound can be as loud as 90 decibels
(almost as noisy as a motorcycle engine).
Generally it is the males that make the
calls, in the hope the females are listening:
Frogs’ ears are called tympana and are
located behind the eyes, resembling flat
circles. Frog ears are essentially tuned
to hear the calls made by members of
their own species.