The Poison Dart Frog

Words: 330

Pages: 2

Open Document

The most important dart poison frog toxins are batrachotoxins, pumiliotoxins, histrionicotoxins, and gephyrotoxins (Patocka, Wulff and Palomeque, 1999). The neurotoxin batrachotoxin is a polycyclic steroidal alkaloid derived from the Greek words for ‘frog’ and for ‘toxin’. According to Wallace (2014) batrachotoxin’s lethality is achieved through permanently blocking the transmission of nerve signals to the muscles. Wallace further states that this toxin has a particularly severe effect on the heart, where it permanently interferes with conduction, causing arrhythmias, ventricular fibrillation and eventual cardiac failure. These effects as stated by Wallace (2014) on nerves and muscles are caused by a huge intracellular rush of positively-charged sodium ions, but also larger ammonium, potassium and calcium ions resulting in a huge depolarization of the nerve membrane. …show more content…
Sometimes the skin toxins affect the victim in different ways, just local irritation can occur but other extreme effects are hallucinations and vasoconstriction which can result in increased blood pressure (ThinkQuest 2006).They are strong cardiotoxins, affecting ion permeability, which leads to an irreversible depolarization of nerves and muscles, arrhythmias, fibrillation, and cardiac failure. Observed symptoms in laboratory animals include strong muscle contractions, violent convulsions, salivation, and dyspnea and death even at low doses(Patocka, Wulff and Palomeque, 1999).According Patocka, Wulff and Palomeque, (1999) there is no effective antidote known for dart frog

Poison Dart Frog Research Paper

Among these animals and plants are the poison dart frog and bromeliads, they are both families of great variety with species that interact with each other (Ryan, 438). The majority of the research focused on the frogs and how their parental strategies, and related behaviors, were shaped by their choice of phytotelmata. As this is a narrow topic, almost all of the papers cited make a reference to another of the citations in this paper. In research about the frogs, there is a back and forth of citation…

Words 746 - Pages 3

Pitcher Research Paper

surface; over half of the entire world's plant and animal species live in them. The combination of constant warmth and abundant moisture makes the tropical rain forest a suitable environment for many plants and animals such as the Pitcher plant and poison dart frog.…

Words 507 - Pages 3

Golden Poison Frog Research Paper

golden poison frog, then I will talk about a rattlesnakes last I will talk about bulet ants. The toxin is secreted through the frog's skin and is used for self protection and not for hunting. Also the frog is very vibrantly coloured, usually mint green, yellow or orange. This bright colouring wards off predators. The Liophis epinephelus is the only predator that is resistant to the venom of the golden poison dart frog; however it is not completely immune to it. Only the golden poison frog itself…

Words 673 - Pages 3

Essay on Vertebrates and Invertebrates

VERTEBRATES Vertebrates (pronounced /ˈvɜrtɨbrəts/) are animals that are members of the subphylum Vertebrata (chordates with backbones and spinal columns). Vertebrates are the largest group of chordates, with currently about 58,000 species described.Vertebrates include the jawless fishes, bony fishes, sharks and rays, amphibians, reptiles, mammals, and birds. Extant vertebrates range in size from the carp species Paedocypris, at as little as 7.9 mm (0.3 inch), to the blue whale, at up to 33 m (110 ft)…

Words 2261 - Pages 10

The Lessons In Color

midday I decided to take a break and eat some food that I had brought with me. I found a cool place to sit down in and began to enjoy my meal. About three quarters through my meal I looked up into a low hanging tree and spotted a beautifully colored frog. It was not larger than my thumb and no wider than your index and middle finger together. what caught my eye was not its size but its color; it had a bright strawberry red body with bright blue thighs that faded to various…

Words 1123 - Pages 5

Survival In The Amazon Essay

in order for a person to survive one should know about the wildlife, climate, diseases, food, water, and clothing. This is what the person reading this paper will learn about. In order to survive in the Amazon one has to know that there are poison dart frogs. They may look cute but, like its name says it is very dangerous. Jaguars are dangerous too. They blend into the color of the forest. Mosquitoes are a lot abundant and some are infectious. This pest gives malaria. Piranhas with their sharp teeth…

Words 658 - Pages 3

2 Suazo Saul Biome Project Essay

Biomes Research Directions: Using the websites provided and the Powerpoint presentation on LEARN, you will conduct research on one of the biomes listed. Please complete all sections to the fullest extent. Be sure to make a copy and place it in your shared folder before beginning the assignment. This way, it is already turned in! Please complete the research page by the beginning of the period on Monday. Biome List: 1. Aquatic 3. Deserts 5. Deciduous Forest 7. Savannahs 2. Grasslands…

Words 982 - Pages 4