The most poisonous frog on earth. The most beautiful frogs and toads in the world and their beautiful photos

Ecology

The most poisonous frogs, ironically, have the most amazing and beautiful appearance, but it is extremely undesirable to touch them. Just one touch to the skin of these creatures can cost you your life. Find out more about the most poisonous, but very colorful and beautiful frogs.

1) Bicolor phyllomedusa

Phyllomedusa bicolor

This large frog, often called the monkey frog, is very curious. Although its venom is not as dangerous as that of some other representatives of the frog world, most of us are unlikely to want to try its effects: the venom can cause unpleasant hallucinations or stomach problems. We say "most of us" because some tribes on the banks of the Amazon do deliberately use their poison to induce hallucinations.

2) Spotted poison dart frog

Dendrobates tinctorius

This amazing beauty The frog can have different skin colors; it is interesting not only because its skin is poisonous, which should not be forgotten, but also because its poison has a special effect on parrots. Aboriginal peoples The Amazon uses frog poison to change the color of the feathers of parrots.

3) Red-backed poison frog

Ranitomeya reticulatus

Native to Peru, this frog has a mild venom that can cause health problems in humans and can kill some animals. Like other poisonous frogs, these beautiful little creatures require special food to produce their poison. In this case, the “raw material” of poison for them is a poisonous ant. The frog stores poison in the skin glands and releases it as needed. Most often this happens in case of danger, when some predator is about to eat the frog.

4) Little poison dart frog

Dendrobates pumilio

Very small in size, but quite bright and beautiful, this strawberry frog is found in impenetrable forests Central America. Her bright color warns: “Stay away, otherwise you will get burned.” You should take the threat seriously, as the frog can really sting painfully, and the sensation is similar to a burn.

5) Blue dart frog

Dendrobates azureus

This frog is really very cute, as can be seen from the photo. However, its beautiful and bright color does not bode well: its poison is enough to kill even the largest natural predator; there are cases where even people died from this poison. However, some brave people keep these creatures at home as pets. How is this possible, you ask? Fortunately, in captivity frogs lose their poisonous properties, because they do not receive special food to produce poison, and they don’t need it, since no one will offend them in the aquarium. The frog retains its wonderful appearance, but loses its poison. This applies to all frogs on our list.

6) Charming leaf climber

Phyllobates lugubris

The charming leaf climber is the least poisonous of its genus, although it still makes its victims bitterly regret that they tried to attack it. He is called "charming frog" only because of his appearance. If you want to find representatives of this species in the wild, you should go to Central America. It is unlikely that you will have to look for it for a long time, since such poisonous creatures are usually not going to hide from someone.

7) Striped leaf climber

Phyllobates vittatus

As with the frogs mentioned above, these small amphibians with their bright colors warn enemies that they are not as defenseless as they seem, so you should stay away from them. The venom of these creatures causes severe pain and can even lead to paralysis.

8) Spotted poison frog

Ranitomeya variabilis

These beautiful creatures live in tropical forests Ecuador and Peru and are among the most poisonous representatives of the genus Ranitomeya. The poison of one frog can be enough to kill 5 people! Although the frog looks very cute, it should not be touched under any circumstances. Even if you are lucky enough to visit the forests of Ecuador or Peru, you should not be afraid to encounter a frog. She will never attack first.

9) Three-striped leaf climber

Epipedobates tricolor

These frogs are very small, but are one of the most deadly amphibians. They can kill not only large animals, but also humans, so no one would think of playing with them. Frogs are endangered, so they can rarely be found even in their homeland - in the forests of Ecuador. To save these frogs and increase their numbers, researchers are trying to breed them in captivity. It is also important to preserve them with medical point view: the poison of these frogs is 200 times stronger than morphine and is an excellent pain reliever.

10) Terrible leaf climber

Phyllobates terribilis

This is extremely poison frog lives in Colombia. Despite their eye-catching appearance, these creatures are not the type to play with: their bright colors warn of danger. In fact, these frogs are so poisonous that a person can die just by touching them, hence the name. Dire leaf climbers do not use venom to kill their prey, but only to protect themselves from predators. Therefore, if you see frogs in the forest, but do not try to touch them, they will not cause you any harm.

Tree frogs, also known as tree frogs, are the most colorful members of the amphibian order - their colors range from yellow and green to red and blue mixed with black. Such a bright range is not just a quirk of nature, it is a signal for predators, warning of danger. Producing a poisonous toxin that can paralyze, stun and kill even a large animal, tree frogs have firmly established themselves in the impenetrable tropical forests of Central and South America, Where high humidity and the enormous biodiversity of insects allows them to survive for more than 200 million years. Having appeared on Earth at the same time as dinosaurs, frogs demonstrate extraordinary adaptation to the environment - painted in all the colors of the rainbow, they are practically invisible among lush vegetation and inedible for most representatives of the fauna.

- the Amerinds, have long learned to benefit from the poison of poison dart frogs, using it as a deadly substance to lubricate the tips of their hunting darts. Having pierced the frog with a stick, the Indians first held it over the fire, and then collected the droplets of poison that appeared on the skin of the animal into a container, after which they dipped the arrows in a viscous liquid. This is where another name for poisonous tree frogs came from - dart frogs.

Unusual facts from the life of poison dart frogs

• Among the brightly colored 175 species of tree frogs, only three pose a threat to humans, the rest mimic toxicity with their appearance, although they are not poisonous.
• The size of dangerous tree frogs reaches 2-5 cm, with females being larger than males.
• Tree frogs climb trees thanks to the rounded ends on their legs that resemble suction cups. Making circular movements with their limbs, they move quite easily along the vertical plane of a tree trunk.
• Poison dart frogs prefer to live alone, carefully protecting the boundaries of their territory, and only come together during the mating season after reaching 2 years of age.
• Tree frogs acquire their bright colors with age; baby frogs always have a nondescript brown color.
• The frog's body does not produce poison - it adsorbs toxins from small insects. Toxic secretions appear on the skin of an amphibian at the moment of danger and are caused by a specific “diet”, which includes ants, flies, and beetles. Tree frogs raised in captivity, far from their natural habitat and deprived of their usual food, are absolutely harmless.
• Dart frogs are both diurnal and nocturnal, climb the ground and trees, and use a long sticky tongue when hunting.
• The life cycle of tree frogs is 5-7 years, in captivity – 10-15 years.

Yellow poison dart frog

Inhabited in the Andean foothills - in coastal areas southwestern Colombia, the most poisonous frog in the world - the terrible leaf climber ( Phyllobates terribilis ) , prefers growing on rocks 300-600 m above sea level. Deciduous litter under the crowns of trees near the reservoir - favorite place for the most dangerous vertebrate in the world - the yellow-gold tree frog, whose poison can kill 10 people at a time.

The distribution zone of the 1.5 cm strawberry tree frog (Andinobates geminisae), from the family of poisonous leaf climbers, first found in 2011, is the jungle of Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Panama. The red-orange palette of the body of an unusual amphibian is adjacent to the bright blue on hind legs and black marks on the head. After the dreaded golden leaf frog, the red tree frog is the second most toxic species in the world.

Okopipi blue poison frog

In 1968, the sky-blue tree frog Dendrobatus azureus was first discovered by scientists in the humid tropics. A bright shade of cobalt or azure sapphire with black and white flecks is a classic Okopipi colorway. Own name poisonous tree frog received from local aborigines a long time ago - unlike scientists, the Amerindians have known it for many centuries. The distribution area of ​​​​the unusual vertebrate is the relict tropical forests surrounding the Sipaliwini savanna, stretching through the southern regions of Suriname and Brazil. According to scientists, the blue dart frog was, as it were, “canned” in this area during the last Ice Age, when part of the jungle turned into a grassy plain. The surprising thing is that Okopipi does not know how to swim like all amphibians, and it gets the necessary moisture in the humid thickets of the tropical forest.

Distribution area red-eyed tree frog— Agalychnis callidryas, quite extensive: from Northern Colombia, across the entire central part America, to the southern tip of Mexico. This species of amphibian lives mainly in the lowlands of Costa Rica and Panama. The coloring of the “big-eyed” dart frog is the most intense in the family of tailless vertebrates - neon spots of blue and orange are scattered on a bright green background. But the eyes of this amphibian are especially remarkable - scarlet, with a vertical narrow pupil, they help the harmless little frog scare away predators.

In the east of the continent, another species is found red-eyed frog— Litoria chloris – owners of a rich light green color with yellow splashes. Both types of tree frogs are not poisonous despite their expressive “outfit” and piercing gaze.

Interesting to know! Many animals have striking colors - warning colors developed during evolution to protect against predators and indicating the toxicity of its owner. As a rule, this is a combination of contrasting colors: black and yellow, red and blue or others, a striped or drop-shaped pattern - even those predators that are naturally color-blind can distinguish such colors. In addition to the catchy color scheme, miniature animals have large eyes that are incommensurate with the size of the body, which in the dark creates the illusion of a large organism. This feature, intended for survival, is called aposematism.

Medical uses of tree frog venom

Scientists' research into the pharmacological use of frog toxins began back in 1974, when the US National Institutes of Health first conducted experiments with dendrobatid and Epidatidine, the main components of tree frog venom. It turned out that in its pain-relieving properties one substance is 200 times superior to morphine, and the other is 120 times superior to nicotine. In the mid-90s, scientists at Abbott Labs. managed to create a synthetic version of epidatidine - ABT-594, which significantly reduces pain, but does not put people to sleep like opiates. The American Natural History Museum team also analyzed 300 alkaloids found in tree frog venom and determined that some were effective in treating neuralgia and muscle dysfunction.

• The most big frog in the world - goliath (Conraua goliath) from West Africa, its body length (excluding legs) is about 32-38 cm, weight - almost 3.5 kg. The giant amphibian lives in Cameroon and Guinea, on the sandy banks of the African rivers Sanaga and Benito.
• The smallest frog in the world is the tree toad from Cuba, it grows 1.3 cm in length.
• In total, there are about 6 thousand species of frogs in the world, but every year scientists find more and more new species.
• A toad is the same as a frog, only its skin is dry, unlike frogs, and covered with warts, and its hind legs are shorter.
• The frog sees perfectly at night and is sensitive to even the slightest movement; in addition, the location and shape of the eyes allows it to perfectly view the area not only in front and to the sides of itself, but also partially behind.
• Thanks to their long hind legs, frogs can jump a distance of 20 times their body length. The Costa Rican tree frog has membranes between the toes of its hind and front paws - this unique aerodynamic device helps it float in the air when it jumps from one branch to another.
• Like all amphibians, frogs are cold-blooded - their body temperature changes in direct proportion to the parameters environment. When the air temperature drops to a critical level, they burrow underground and remain in suspended animation until spring. Even if 65% of a tree frog's body is frozen, it will survive by increasing the concentration of glucose in its vital organs. Another example of vitality is demonstrated by the Australian desert frog - it can survive without water for about 7 years.

New species of frogs and toads found in the world

Recently, in the highlands of western Panama, a the new kind gold tree frog. Scientists were able to spot the amphibian in dense foliage due to an unusual loud croaking sound, unlike any previously studied. When zoologists caught the animal, a yellow pigment began to appear on its paws. There was a fear that the discharge was poisonous, but after a series of tests, it turned out that the bright yellow mucus did not contain any toxins. A strange feature of the frog helped the scientific team come up with scientific name- Diasporus citrinobapheus, which conveys the essence of her behavior in Latin. Another new species of poisonous frog, Andinobates geminisae, was found by scientists in Panama (Doroso, Colon province), in the upper reaches of the Rio Caño River. According to experts, the neon orange frog is on the verge of extinction, since its habitat is extremely small.

On the island of Sulawesi near the Philippine archipelago, scientific group discovered the existence large quantity clawed frogs - 13 species, and 9 of them were hitherto unknown to science. Differences are observed in the body size of amphibians, the size and number of spurs on the hind legs. Due to the fact that this species is the only one on the island, nothing prevents it from breeding and reproducing, unlike its relatives in the Philippines, where clawed tree frogs compete with another species - amphibians of the Platymantis family. The rapid increase in the number of island anurans clearly demonstrates the correctness of Charles Darwin's concept of adaptive distribution, described by the example of finches from the Galapagos archipelago.

Biodiversity of frogs on Earth

• Vietnam. About 150 species of amphibians are common here; in 2003, 8 new species of frogs were found in the country.
• Venezuela. The exotic state is sometimes called the “lost world” - many table mountains, difficult to reach for researchers, are distinguished by endemic flora and fauna. In 1995, a group of scientists undertook a helicopter expedition to the Sierra Yavi, Guanay and Yutaye mountains, where 3 species of frogs unknown to science were found.
• Tanzania. Open in the Ujungwa Mountains new variety tree frogs - Leptopelis barbouri.
• Papua New Guinea. Behind last decade 50 unstudied species of tailless amphibians were discovered here.
• Northeastern regions of the USA. Habitat of the rare spider-like toad.
• Madagascar. The island is home to 200 species of frogs, 99% of which are endemic - unique species not found anywhere else. The scientists' latest find, the narrow-mouthed toad, was discovered through a study of the soil and foliage of the jungle, during which they were able to identify the amphibian's excrement.
• Colombia. The most outstanding discovery scientists in this region– a species of tree frog, Colostethus atopoglossus, found only on the eastern slopes of the Andes, in El Boquerón.

Argentina, Bolivia, Guyana, Tanzania and many more countries with tropical climate and rugged landscapes - these are regions where scientists are constantly finding new subspecies of animals, including tailless amphibians - frogs. Possessing miniature sizes, arboreal representatives of the amphibian order are not only the smallest, but also the most dangerous animals in the world - modern zoologists are increasingly convinced of this.

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Ironically, the most beautiful representatives of the animal world are often the most dangerous and even deadly for humans and other representatives of the fauna. It's the same with frogs. So, the most poisonous and most beautiful frogs peace.

The more beautiful, the more dangerous. So much more dangerous that just one touch to their skin can end fatal. So which one should we be wary of?

Phyllomedusa bicolor

Sometimes it is also called the "monkey frog". A large individual that can boast of its two-colored body, as its name immediately implies: its top part It is painted in a bright light green color, slightly yellow towards the edge of the transition downwards, where the second, brown side of the frog begins, which has light spots. She is very curious and can go anywhere in search of adventure. The venom of the bicolor phyllomedusa causes strong, not very pleasant hallucinations and stomach upset. However, some tribes living off the coast of the Amazon are deliberately “poisoned” with poison to induce hallucinations.

Spotted dart frog

A stunningly beautiful frog: the head and body are decorated with large black and yellow circles, and the legs are black and blue. The skin of this frog is interesting not only for its beauty and poisonousness, but also because with its help, or more precisely, with the help of the poison secreted, Amazonian aborigines change the color of their feathers.

Red-backed poison frog

Bright red head and back, on light body black circles, that's what it looks like poisonous little one originally from Peru. Like many other animals, it produces its poison with the help of special food, in this case it poisonous ants. The frog uses poison only in case of its own protection.

Little poison dart frog

A bright, orange-red, very small frog that lives in the impenetrable forests of Central America. Its bright color warns that the frog is as dangerous as fire. And this is true, the poison of her skin leaves an unpleasant feeling of a burn.

Blue dart frog

Very cute creature, bright blue, the sides of this frog are slightly lighter than the rest of the body, but no less bright for this. The venom of this creature can kill the largest predator and even humans.

Charming leaf climber

This wonderful name is given to a small frog from Central America. It is the least poisonous compared to its other brethren, but this does not mean that its poison can give someone joy. The frog itself is very dark, almost black, with two bright orange stripes along its back.

Striped leaf climber

The poison of this frog is very severe pain, can even lead to paralysis. She has the same bright orange stripes along her back as the charming leaf climber, only wider. The frog itself is dark green, sometimes brown.

Spotted poison frog

In the tropical forests of Ecuador and Peru lives a beautiful frog, rightfully called the most poisonous among all representatives, because its poison is enough to kill up to 5 people! But you shouldn’t be afraid of her prematurely; she won’t attack first. In appearance it has many similarities with the spotted poison dart frog. Only at spotted frog larger spots all over the body.

Three-striped leaf climber

In the native forests of Ecuador, it is now rare to see these beautiful, bright red frogs, with three light, almost white stripes on their backs. Researchers are trying to save their species by breeding them in captivity. After all, their poison is not only deadly, but also useful, as it is about 200 times superior to morphine and is an excellent pain reliever.

Poisonous apparatus

Anurans are represented by 6 thousand modern species, where the difference between frogs and toads is very blurred. The former are usually understood as smooth-skinned, and the latter as warty amphibians without a tail, which is not entirely true. Biologists insist that individual toads are more closely related to frogs than to other toads. All tailless amphibians that produce toxins are considered both primary and passively poisonous, since they are endowed with defense mechanism from birth, but lack attack tools (teeth/spikes).

In toads, the suprascapular glands with a poisonous secretion (each of which consists of 30–35 alveolar lobes) are located on the sides of the head, above the eyes. The alveoli end in ducts that extend to the surface of the skin, but are closed by plugs when the toad is calm.

Interesting. The parotid glands contain about 70 mg of bufotoxin, which (when the glands are compressed by the teeth) pushes the plugs out of the ducts, penetrates the attacker's mouth and then into the pharynx, causing severe intoxication.

There is a widely known case in which a poisonous toad was given to a hungry hawk sitting in a cage. The bird grabbed it and began to peck, but very quickly left the trophy and hid in a corner. She sat there, ruffled, and died a few minutes later.

Poisonous frogs do not generate toxins themselves, but usually obtain them from arthropods, ants or beetles. In the body, toxins change or remain the same (depending on metabolism), but the frog loses its toxicity as soon as it stops eating such insects.

What poison do frogs have?

Tailless animals signal their toxicity with a deliberately striking coloration, which is also reproduced by completely non-toxic species in the hope of escaping from enemies. True, there are predators (for example, giant salamander and ringed snake), calmly absorbing poisonous amphibians without harm to their health.

The poison poses a serious threat to any living creature not adapted to it, including humans, which best case scenario ends in poisoning and, at worst, death. Most tailless amphibians produce a poison of non-protein origin (bufotoxin), which becomes dangerous only in a certain dosage.

The chemical composition of the poison, as a rule, depends on the type of amphibian and includes different components:

• hallucinogens;
• nerve agents;
• skin irritants;
• vasoconstrictors;
• proteins that destroy red blood cells;
• cardiotoxins and others.

The composition is also determined by the habitat and living conditions of poisonous frogs: those of them who sit a lot on land are armed with toxins against land predators. The terrestrial lifestyle influenced poisonous secret toads - it is dominated by cardiotoxins that disrupt the activity of the heart.

Fact. The soapy secretions of toaded fireweeds contain bombesin, which leads to the breakdown of red blood cells. Whitish mucus irritates human mucous membranes, causing headache and chills. Rodents die after ingesting bombesin at a dose of 400 mg/kg.

Despite their toxicity, toads (and other poisonous anurans) often end up on the table of other frogs, snakes, and some birds and animals. The Australian raven lays the aga toad on its back, kills it with its beak and eats it, discarding its head with poisonous glands.

The venom of the Colorado toad consists of 5-MeO-DMT (a strong psychotropic substance) and the alkaloid bufotenine. Most toads are not harmed by their poison, but this cannot be said about frogs: a tiny leaf climber can die from its own poison if it enters the body through a scratch.

Several years ago, biologists from the California Academy of Sciences found a bug in New Guinea that “supplies” batrachotoxin to frogs. Upon contact with the beetle (the natives call it Choresine), tingling and temporary numbness of the skin occurs. Having examined about 400 beetles, the Americans discovered different, including previously unknown, types of BTXs (batrachotoxins) in them.

Human use of poison

Previously, the mucus of poisonous frogs was used for its intended purpose - to hunt game and destroy enemies. The skin of the American spotted poison dart frog contains so much poison (BTXs + homobatrachotoxin) that it is enough for dozens of arrows that can kill or paralyze large animals. The hunters rubbed the tips on the back of the amphibian and tucked the arrows into their blowguns. In addition, biologists have calculated that the poison of one such frog is enough to kill 22 thousand mice.

According to some sources, the role of a primitive drug was the poison of the aga toad: it was simply licked from the skin or smoked after drying it. Nowadays, biologists have come to the conclusion that the poison of Bufo alvarius (Colorado toad) is a more powerful hallucinogen - it is now used for relaxation.

Epibatidine is the name of the component found in batrachotoxin. This painkiller is 200 times stronger than morphine and is not addictive. True, the therapeutic dose of epibatidine is close to lethal.

Also, from the skin of tailless amphibians, biochemists have isolated a peptide that prevents the multiplication of the HIV virus (but this research has not yet been completed).

Antidote for frog poison

Nowadays, scientists have learned to synthesize batrachotoxin, which is not inferior in its characteristics to natural one, but have never been able to obtain an antidote to it. Due to the lack of an effective andidote, all manipulations with poison dart frogs, in particular the terrible leaf climber, must be extremely careful. The toxin affects the heart, nervous and circulatory system, penetrating through abrasions/cuts on the skin, so a poisonous frog caught in wildlife, cannot be taken with bare hands.

Regions with poisonous frogs

Dart frogs (several species of which produce batrachotoxins) are considered endemic to Central and South America. These poisonous frogs live in the tropical forests of countries such as:

• Bolivia and Brazil;
• Venezuela and Guyana;
• Costa Rica and Colombia;
• Nicaragua and Suriname;
• Panama and Peru;
• French Guiana;
• Ecuador.

In these same regions, the aga toad is also found, also introduced in Australia, southern Florida (USA), the Philippines, the Caribbean and Pacific islands. The Colorado toad is native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. The European continent, including Russia, is inhabited by less poisonous anurans - the common spadefoot, red-bellied toad, green and gray toads.

TOP 8 poisonous frogs on the planet

Almost all death frogs are members of the dart frog family, which consists of about 120 species. Because of their bright colors, people like to keep them in aquariums, especially since the toxicity of amphibians fades over time, as they stop eating toxic insects.

The most dangerous in the poison dart frog family, which unites 9 genera, are small (2–4 cm) frogs from the genus of leaf climbers living in the Colombian Andes.

Terrible leaf climber (lat. Phyllobates terribilis)

A light touch on this tiny, 1 g frog carries fatal poisoning, which is not surprising - one leaf climber produces up to 500 mcg of batrachotoxin. Kokoe (as the aborigines called it), despite its bright lemon color, is well camouflaged among tropical greenery.

When luring a frog, the Indians imitate its croaking and then catch it, focusing on the response cry. They smear the tips of their arrows with the poison of the leaf climber - the affected prey dies from respiratory arrest due to fast action BTXs, which paralyze the respiratory muscles. Before taking the terrible leaf climber in their hands, hunters wrap them in leaves.

Two-color leaf climber (lat. Phyllobates bicolor)

It inhabits the tropical forests of the northwestern part of South America, mainly western Colombia, and is the carrier of the second most toxic poison (after the terrible leaf climber). It also contains batrachotoxin, and at a dose of 150 mg, the toxic secretions of the bicolor leafhopper lead to paralysis of the respiratory muscles and then to death.

Interesting. These are the most big representatives poison dart frog family: females grow up to 5–5.5 cm, males – from 4.5 to 5 cm. Body color varies from yellow to orange, turning into blue/black shades on the limbs.

Zimmerman's dart frog (lat. Ranitomeya variabilis)

Perhaps the most beautiful frog of the genus Ranitomeya, but no less poisonous than its close relatives. It looks like a children's toy, the body of which is covered with bright green paint, and the legs are blue. The finishing touch is shiny black spots scattered across a green and blue background.

These tropical beauties are found in the Amazon basin (western Colombia), as well as in the eastern foothills of the Andes in Ecuador and Peru. It is believed that all poison dart frogs have a single enemy - the snake, which does not react in any way to their poison.

Little poison dart frog (lat. Oophaga pumilio)

A bright red frog up to 1.7–2.4 cm tall with black or blue-black legs. The belly can be red, brown, red-blue or whitish. Adult amphibians feed on spiders and small insects, including ants, which supply the skin glands of frogs with toxins.

A striking color serves several purposes:

• signals toxicity;
• gives status to males (the brighter, the higher the rank);
• allows females to choose alpha partners.

Little dart frogs live in the jungle from Nicaragua to Panama, along the entire Caribbean coast of Central America, no higher than 0.96 km above sea level.

Blue poison dart frog (lat. Dendrobates azureus)

This cute (up to 5 cm) frog is less toxic than the terrible leaf climber, but its poison, coupled with its eloquent coloring, reliably scares away all potential enemies. In addition, toxic mucus protects the amphibian from fungi and bacteria.

Fact. Okopipi (as the Indians call the frog) has a blue body with black spots and blue legs. Due to its narrow range, whose area is shrinking after deforestation of the surrounding forests, the blue dart frog is in danger of extinction.

The species now inhabits a limited region near Brazil, Guyana and French Guiana. In the south of Suriname, blue dart frogs are common in one of the largest districts, Sipaliwini, where they live in tropical forests and savannas.

Two-color phyllomedusa (lat. Phyllomedusa bicolor)

This one is big green frog from the banks of the Amazon is not related to poison dart frogs, but is delegated to the family Phyllomedusidae. Males (9–10.5 cm) are traditionally smaller than females, growing up to 11–12 cm. Individuals of both sexes are colored the same - light green back, cream or white belly, light brown toes.

The bicolor phyllomedusa is not as deadly as the leaf climber, but its toxic secretions also have a hallucinogenic effect and lead to disorders gastrointestinal tract. Healers from Indian tribes use dried mucus to get rid of various ailments. The venom of the bicolor phyllomedusa is also used for the initiation of young people from local tribes.

Golden mantella (lat. Mantella aurantiaca)

This charming, poisonous creature can be found in a single place (with an area of ​​approximately 10 km²) in the east of Madagascar. The species is part of the genus Mantella from the Mantella family and is, according to the IUCN, under threat of extinction, which is explained by large-scale deforestation of tropical forests.

Fact. A sexually mature frog, usually a female, grows up to 2.5 cm, and some specimens stretch up to 3.1 cm. The amphibian has an attractive orange coloration, with a red or yellow-orange tint. Red spots are sometimes visible on the sides and thighs. The belly is usually lighter than the back.

Juveniles are dark brown and are not poisonous to others. Golden mantellas accumulate toxins as they mature, ingesting large numbers of ants and termites. The composition and potency of the poison depends on the food/habitat, but necessarily includes the following chemical compounds:

• allopumiliotoxin;
• pyrrollizidine;
• pumiliotoxin;
• quinolizidine;
• homopumiliotoxin;
• indolizidine, etc.

The combination of these substances is designed to protect the amphibian from fungi and bacteria, as well as to repel predatory animals.

Red-bellied toad (lat. Bombina bombina)

Its poison cannot be compared with the mucus of the dart frog. The maximum that threatens a person is sneezing, tears and pain when the secretion gets on the skin. But our compatriots have a higher chance of encountering a red-bellied firebird than the chance of stepping on a dart frog, since it has settled in Europe, starting from Denmark and southern Sweden with the capture of Hungary, Austria, Romania, Bulgaria and Russia.

This is an ordinary inhabitant of the pond and there seems to be nothing surprising about it. However, this is one of the most amazing representatives of the animal world. Let's find out in more detail about the most unusual species of frogs in the world.

Transparent or glass frog

The length of this strange little frog found in mexican state Chiapas, only 2 cm. All the insides are clearly visible through the colorless skin of the abdomen, which is why it is also called glass. This species of amphibian hunts at night, eating small insects. transparent frog lays eggs on the leaves of bushes hanging over the water so that the hatched tadpoles can immediately get into their native element.

Poison frog coca

Another miniature representative of amphibians comes from the jungles of Colombia. Another name for this frog, which aptly describes both its appearance and lifestyle, is the spotted dart frog. This strange frog gained a bad reputation thanks to its unusual toxic poison, which is several thousand times stronger than the venom of one of the most dangerous snakes - the rattlesnake. Until now, scientists have been unsuccessfully trying to find an antidote to it. The poison is produced in the skin of the frog, in special glands, and is released when touched. The body of just one frog is capable of producing an amount of poison that can kill one and a half thousand people. Well what can I say, be careful in the jungles of Colombia!

Hairy frog

This unusual look frogs were discovered in Gabon, which Central Africa, at the beginning of the twentieth century. The peculiar hair on the back of males is an extension of the skin; blood circulation occurs in them, and nerve endings are also located in them. It is believed that these conditional hairs are a kind of respiratory organs of the male frog, and by increasing the surface of the body, they help to increase metabolism.

Goliath frog

A rather rare species of amphibian that lives in West Africa. The frog's long body reaches 30 cm, and its weight is an incomprehensible 3.5 kg. The largest specimen caught in Angola was 40 cm long. This giant among tailless amphibians loves clean running water saturated with oxygen. The goliath's diet consists of small frogs, tadpoles, mice and lizards. Locals, in turn, are happy to hunt this amazing frog, which threatens the conservation of the species.

bull frog

Native to North America, this close-up view frogs, although inferior in size to the African Goliath frog, loudly announces itself in a different way. In the spring, bullfrogs emit a deafening croaking sound, more reminiscent of the mooing of a herd of cows. The roar of a frog alone can be heard from a distance of 3 kilometers. However, unlike real bulls, the bullfrog is not a vegetarian at all: it feeds on shellfish, insects, as well as chicks and small fish.

Sharp-nosed tree frog

The unusual nose of this species of frog, native to New Guinea, gives it a funny appearance. But this is not just a whim. This nocturnal hunter is forced to hide in crevices during the day, leaving only her thin, curved, hard nose on the surface. It is beyond the power of small predators, or even humans, to pull a frog out of its hiding place.

flying frog

This little frog has set a record for long jumps, which are more like flying. Found in the humid tropics South-East Asia, she is capable of jumping as much as 12 meters. This is a huge distance, considering that the size of the frog itself is 10-12 centimeters. The reason for this jumping ability lies in the wide, dark orange membranes between the toes on the frog's legs, flat body and ability to glide.

Many unusual discoveries have been made by frog researchers, and simply concerned naturalists. But these amazing animals still keep many secrets. In anticipation of new discoveries, with respect and love, we will look at our neighbor on the planet - such an ordinary and at the same time extraordinary frog.