Most Poisonous Frogs on the Planet  Most Poisonous Frogs on the
Planet  Many frogs contain mild toxins that make them
unpalatable to potential predators. Some of them, such as some
poison dart frogs, are especially toxic. The chemical makeup of
toxins in frogs varies from irritants to hallucinogens,
convulsants, nerve poisons, and vasoconstrictors. Many predators
of frogs have adapted to tolerate high levels of these poisons.
Others, including humans, may be severely affected.  Golden
Poison Frog  Phyllobates terribilis  image by wilfried berns
The golden poison frog’s skin is densely coated in alkaloid
poison, one of a number of poisons common to dart frogs
(batrachotoxins), which prevents nerves from transmitting
impulses, leaving the muscles in an inactive state of
contraction. This can lead to heart failure or fibrillation.
Some native people use this poison to hunt by coating darts with
the frogs poison. Like most poison dart frogs, uses poison only
as a self-defense mechanism and not for killing prey.