Vanzolinis Poison Frog
by Dante Fenolio
Title
Vanzolinis Poison Frog
Artist
Dante Fenolio
Medium
Photograph - Photograph
Description
Ranitomeya vanzolinii, Vanzolini's Poison Frog, is known from East-Central Peru and adjacent Brazil. 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
Statistics
Viewed 2,037 Times - Last Visitor from New York, NY on 04/26/2024 at 1:11 AM
Embed
Share
Sales Sheet
Comments
There are no comments for Vanzolinis Poison Frog. Click here to post the first comment.