The most poisonous animal is not a snake or a spider. It's a beautiful little frog! Most frogs produce skin toxins, but the dart poison frogs from Central and South America are the most potent of all. The golden poison frog, called terribilis (the terrible), is so toxic that even touching it can be dangerous. A single terribilis contains enough poison to kill 20,000 mice or 10 people. It is probably the most poisonous animal on Earth.
Comparisons of unrelated frogs in South America and Madagascar have revealed that both evolved similar bright color schemes and the ability to accumulate toxins from their food to ward off predators. In addition, some toxins found in frogs in both locations share the same chemical structure, despite the fact that the frogs eat different arthropod prey. In very different biological worlds, evolution has converged to produce two toxic warning systems that are almost identical.
Not all flashy frogs are poisonous. Scientists suspect a few nontoxic species evolved color schemes that mimic coexisting poisonous species. More study is needed to determine whether or not this line of defense really works.
Their bright colors advertise danger, but the dart poison frogs on display in this exhibition are not actually poisonous. In the wild these frogs get their toxins from their food, but their diet in captivity is toxin free so these particular frogs are harmless.
The brightly colored dart poison frogs of Central and South America broadcast a visual warning to predators: Do Not Eat! Many species in the frog family Dendrobatidae ooze poison through that spectacular skin as a defense against predators. Scientists are only now unraveling the mystery of how this mechanism evolved and how frogs maintain it.
Source:
http://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/frogs/vivarium/index.php
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