The insects they eat in the wild have toxins in them from the plants they eat, and the frogs produce their poisons from those alkaloids. In captivity they get fed captive-bred insects that don't have those toxins... so no poisonous dart frogs!
Note: WILD CAUGHT dart frogs can be toxic up to a year after capture, so they should never be kept (unless by an expert who is trying to breed a rare species or morph). Most dart frogs aren't actually deadly to humans, even though they'll make you Really Really sick. There are only three species (Phyllobates aurotaenia, P. bicolor, and P. terriblis) that are truly deadly to humans.*
Interestingly enough those three species tend to be susceptible to skin infections in captivity, probably due to the lack of their natural toxins.
My species, Dendrobates tinctorius is not one of those deadly-to-humans-in-the-wild types.
Interestingly enough, a friend of mine was poisoned by some newly imported wild-caught frogs about 20 years ago. She actually lost her eyesight for about six hours! Fortunately she was either poisoned by one that wasn't deadly to humans, or she only received a mild dose. Fortunately captive-bred frogs are much easier to find and cheaper to buy then wild-caught these days.
I-uh, I guess that's your Frog Biology Lecture for the day, yes?
I didn't name him Radar, he was a stray that got picked up and passed around, but the name TOTALLY fits him. MASH and Star Trek were my first fandoms before I even knew what fandom was! And Alan Alda is hot. No one can tell me different.
*don't be too impressed by my Frog-fu. I had a book open right next to me. No way can I spell those names off the top of my head, *g*
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regna
(no subject)
Date: 2008-01-28 02:25 am (UTC)Note: WILD CAUGHT dart frogs can be toxic up to a year after capture, so they should never be kept (unless by an expert who is trying to breed a rare species or morph). Most dart frogs aren't actually deadly to humans, even though they'll make you Really Really sick. There are only three species (Phyllobates aurotaenia, P. bicolor, and P. terriblis) that are truly deadly to humans.*
Interestingly enough those three species tend to be susceptible to skin infections in captivity, probably due to the lack of their natural toxins.
My species, Dendrobates tinctorius is not one of those deadly-to-humans-in-the-wild types.
Interestingly enough, a friend of mine was poisoned by some newly imported wild-caught frogs about 20 years ago. She actually lost her eyesight for about six hours! Fortunately she was either poisoned by one that wasn't deadly to humans, or she only received a mild dose. Fortunately captive-bred frogs are much easier to find and cheaper to buy then wild-caught these days.
I-uh, I guess that's your Frog Biology Lecture for the day, yes?
I didn't name him Radar, he was a stray that got picked up and passed around, but the name TOTALLY fits him. MASH and Star Trek were my first fandoms before I even knew what fandom was! And Alan Alda is hot. No one can tell me different.
*don't be too impressed by my Frog-fu. I had a book open right next to me. No way can I spell those names off the top of my head, *g*