Amazonian Poison Frog #2 is a photograph by Danté Fenolio which was uploaded on June 12th, 2013.
Amazonian Poison Frog #2
Ranitomeya ventrimaculata, the Amazonian Poison Frog, has a large range covering the Amazon drainage of Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Brazil, crossing... more
Title
Amazonian Poison Frog #2
Artist
Danté Fenolio
Medium
Photograph
Description
Ranitomeya ventrimaculata, the Amazonian Poison Frog, has a large range covering the Amazon drainage of Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Brazil, crossing the Amazon Basin from the foothills of the Andes east to the mouth of the Amazon and north into French Guiana. Many color morphs are recognized. Frogs of the family Dendrobatidae have been given a number of common names. Poison Arrow Frogs and Poison Dart Frogs are probably the two most commonly recognized names for the group as a whole. Only three of the over 160 species of these frogs were ever used to poison darts and none were used to poison arrows, so both of these common names are not very representative of the entire family. Poison Frogs seems to be the common name that has stuck. There are over 200 toxic compounds that have been identified from the skin of these frogs and many of them hold medical potential for use with humans. Investigations of these skin toxins for human applications have included their use as potential painkillers, treatments for diabetes and heart disease, and for use as antibiotics against antibiotic resistant bacteria. After what can be a long and intricate courtship, frogs of the family Dendrobatidae deposit eggs terrestrially. One or both of the parents attend and defend the developing clutch. Depending on the species, one of the parents allows newly hatched tadpoles to squirm onto their backs where the tadpoles actually glue themselves to the skin of the parent using glue glands around their mouths. The parent then transports the tadpoles to a water source where the glue breaks down because it is water soluble. The bright colors of poison frogs warn potential predators of the toxins that they produce in their skin.
Uploaded
June 12th, 2013
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