Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I heard that the poison dart/arrow frogs in Hawaii are not as toxic as normal arrow frogs. Is this true? I heard it's becasue they don't eat the same things that normally make arrow frogs toxic. Any information you have would be appreciated, thanks.

I know very, very little about PDFs and, if what I read is true then yes, the hawaiin frogs, wouldn't be as toxic. I read that PDF's eat a certain ant, that gives them there toxin? Then again I may be crazy!

Steven

Wile it is true that most people believe its true that it is what the frogs eats that give them its toxicity it is not really now what it is they are eating that gives them their poison. For years their has been this some what false belief that ants are the sole thing for this however their has only been a few ant that carry the same chemicals as darts do. The fact is there is simply not enough people out their doing field work and there is no one in Colombian studying the “deadly trio” as fare as I know.
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Brian Ferriera JR
Plympton, Ma

P. Terribilis (orange)
P.Bicolor (orange)
D. azureus
D. ventrimaculatus
D. tinctorius (Oyapok )
D. Fantasticus
D. leucomelas

We do know that captive bred dart frogs lose most of their toxins, however. It is possible that the same cause, whatever it is, has made the Hawaiian frogs lose theirs. I have read a couple of the scientific papers on this--(they are very boring) and so far, I don't think any of them has come up with the complete answer. Maybe someday soon, I hope someone will put it all together and thumbnail it for us.
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Patty
Lost River, Idaho

4 D. auratus blue
3 D. galactonotus pumpkin orange splash back
5 D. imitator
4 D. leukomelas
4 D. pumilio Bastimentos