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- Are there poisonous frogs in Brazil?
- Types of poison frogs
- The most poisonous frog in the world
- poisonous toads in Brazil
- Complete list of poisonous frogs from the Brazilian fauna
Toads, like frogs and tree frogs, are part of the frog family, a group of amphibians that is distinguished by the absence of a tail. There are more than 3000 species of these animals around the world and, in Brazil alone, it is possible to find 600 of them.
Are there poisonous frogs in Brazil?
In the Brazilian fauna we can find several poisonous and dangerous animals, be they spiders, snakes and even frogs! You may never have imagined that such an animal might not be harmless, but the truth is that they can be dangerous and there are poisonous frogs in Brazil!
Types of poison frogs
Toads, as well as frogs and tree frogs, are part of the frog family, a group of amphibians that is distinguished by the absence of a tail. There are more than 3000 species of these animals around the world and, in Brazil alone, it is possible to find 600 of them.
Many people are disgusted with these animals because of their elastic skin and the way their chin moves when they croak, but it's important to remember that they're essential to nature's balance: with an insect-based diet, frogs help control the excess of flies and mosquitoes.
The main difference between toads and frogs, like tree frogs, is that they have drier and less lustrous skin, in addition to being stockier. The similarity between these last two is greater, however, tree frogs have the ability to jump and climb trees and tall plants.
These frogs have a sticky tongue, so when you see an insect approaching, you just project your body and release your tongue, sticking your food and pulling it back. Its reproduction occurs through eggs that are deposited in external environments. Frogs are generally harmless and pose no danger to humans. But some groups, characterized by their striking colors, as if they had been painted by hand, contain skin alkaloids.
These substances are obtained from the food of frogs, which eat mites, ants and plants that already contain alkaloids. Despite their toxic properties, the alkaloids present in the skin of toads have been studied for the drug production capable of treating various diseases.
Within this family, there are several types of poison frogs that you should be aware of.
The most poisonous frog in the world
At just 2.5 centimeters, the small golden poison dart frog (Phyllobates terribilis) is not just the most poisonous frog in the world, as well as appearing in the list of most dangerous land animals. Its body has an extremely vivid and lustrous yellow tone, which, in nature, is a clear sign of “danger, don't get too close”.
This species belongs to the genus Phyllobates, understood by the family Dendrobatidae, cradle of the dangerous frogs we see around. However, it is worth remembering that none of them can compare to our little golden frog. Less than a gram of its poison is enough to kill an elephant or an adult human being. The toxin spread on your skin is capable, from a simple touch, of paralyze the victim's nervous system, making it impossible to transmit nerve impulses and move the musculature. These factors lead to heart failure and muscle fibrillation within moments.
Originally from Colombia, its natural habitat is temperate and very humid forests, with a temperature around 25°C. This frog got the name of “poison darts” because the Indians used their poison to cover the tips of their arrows when they went out to hunt.
The story is a little scary, but we mustn't forget that the golden frog won't use its poison against us if we come across it in the woods. Toxins are only released in extreme danger situations, as a defensive method. In other words: just don't mess with her, she doesn't mess with you.
poisonous toads in Brazil
There are about 180 species of dendrobatidaes around the world and, currently, it is known that at least 26 of them in Brazil, concentrated mainly in the region that comprises the Amazon rainforest.
Several experts claim that there is no incidence of toads of the genus Phyllobates in the country. However, we have amphibians from the group Dendrobates that, as they belong to the same family, they carry similar characteristics, such as a preference for temperate forests, a humid climate and earthy fields, but, above all, it is necessary to explain that the Dendrobates are as poisonous as some of their cousins we find in other regions.
This genus comprises a special group of frogs, known as arrow tip, since they were also used by the Indians to coat their weapons. The main characteristics of the animals that make up this group are the intense coloring of their skin, a silent sign of the poison they carry. Although it doesn't compare to golden poison dart frog, these frogs can be lethal, if their toxins come into contact with a wound on the skin of the person handling them, reaching the person's bloodstream. However, their venom would hardly be fatal, unless they are swallowed by some predator, phew!
Many of the frogs that we find among the arrowheads were recently discovered and, therefore, it is still very difficult to differentiate them here in Brazil. Despite having their specific scientific names, they end up coming to popular knowledge as if they were a single species, due to their similar characteristics.
Complete list of poisonous frogs from the Brazilian fauna
Out of curiosity, here is the complete list of poisonous frogs that we can find in the country. Some were discovered less than ten years ago and it is believed that there are many others across the country that have not yet been registered.
- Adelphobates castaneoticus
- Adelphobates galactonotus
- Adelphobates quinquevittatus
- Ameeraga berohoka
- Ameerega braccata
- Flavopicte Ameerega
- Ameerega hahneli
- Macero Ameerega
- Ameerega petersi
- Pictish Ameerega
- Ameerega pulchripecta
- Ameerega trivittata
- Steindachner leucomela dendrobates
- Dendrobates tinctorius
- Hyloxalus peruvianus
- Hyloxalus chlorocraspedus
- Amazonian ranitomeya
- Ranitomeya cyanovittata
- Ranitomeya defleri
- Ranitomeya flavovitata
- Ranitomeya sirensis
- Ranitomeya toraro
- Ranitomeya uakarii
- Ranitomeya vanzolinii
- Ranitomeya variabilis
- Ranitomeya yavaricola
