These Brazilian Frogs Are More Poisonous Than Pit Vipers

Brodie and Jared also plan to further study both the venom and the glands that produce it, and noted that they intend to study other frog species in other parts of the world, also suspected to be venomous.

Scientists wrote in a paper on the recent discovery that they were surprised by the high skin toxicity of the newly found species and the unique way they transmit their toxic secretions as a venom. Until now, no frog was known to have a well-developed “delivery mechanism” to inject its venom into the predator.

More details about the two venomous species, Corythomantis greeningi and Aparasphenodon brunois, were published in the journal Current Biology.

True, several species of frogs that produce potent and quite often deadly toxins have been documented over the years. These venomous creatures were even more lethal than a pit viper.

A team of researchers detailed Corythomantis greening, the first venomous frog on record, and differentiated them from poisonous frogs.

“It takes frog adaptations to predators to a whole new, unforeseen level”, USU biologist Edmund “Butch” Brodie said of the finding.

Harry is not only a great writer, but he is one of the best researchers on staff. He puts his heart into getting every detail of the story so nothing is left out.

Frogs that have evolved to secrete poison through glands in their skin are not new to the world. But these two frogs are not only poisonous but venomous. But scientists have known little of their biology.

Though scientists know of some kinds of such poisonous frogs, these are different as they secret poison and are armed with weapons that can infuse poison into its victims.

Jared realized head-butting delivers venom only when he saw the frogs’ upper lips under a microscope. Brodie told Live Science Jared endured “intense pain… lasting for five hours” after a frog caught him on the hand with a venomous spike. It head-butts toxins 25 times as powerful as typical pit viper venom, a phenomenon luckily not discovered by handling. All other poisonous frogs don’t actually actively deliver toxins, which is why they’re not classified as venomous in the same way that snakes are.

Jared was grateful that his encounter happened with a Greening’s frog, whose venom is somewhat less toxic. Though Corythomantis greeningi releases a less toxic poison, it releases it in larger quantities than its newly found peer, study authors noted. Strikingly, neither species is known to have any natural predators in the wild, which now makes senses, the scientists said.