Lethal poison frogs bred in city
BBC News (London, UK) April 29th, 2010 04:18 AM: Lethal poison frogs bred in city
Dozens of rare frogs that have a poison 200 times more powerful than morphine are bred at a Portsmouth aquarium.
The tiny baby phantasmal poison frogs, measure less than 1cm (0.4in) in length but have a poison 200 times more powerful than morphine.
They are only found in the wild on the western slopes of the Andes in Ecuador, South America, but have now been bred at the Blue Reef Aquarium, Portsmouth.
The species, which is bright red with three greenish fluorescent stripes, is classed as endangered.
Risk of extinction
Phantasmal poison frogs are one of the most toxic amphibians on the planet.
Jenna MacFarlane, from the Blue Reef Aquarium, said: "Virtually every species of poison frog is threatened in the wild. Among the biggest threats are loss of habitat and pollution.
"To be able to breed this particular species successfully in captivity is extremely rewarding.
"We have done our utmost to replicate the conditions they would normally experience in the wild and the success of the breeding programme would seem to indicate we have managed to get things just about perfect."
The International Union for Conservation of Nature considers the phantasmal poison frog to be endangered, which means that it faces a very high risk of extinction in the wild.
The species is now thought to survive in only seven sites on mountains in the Boliar Province in central Ecuador.
The aquarium said that despite their deadly status, it was hoped the phantasmal poison frog could one day help save lives.
It added that scientists had discovered that an extract from the skin of the phantasmal poison frog Epipedobates tricolor could block pain 200 times more effectively than morphine, and without addiction and other serious side effects.
Original Article
There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
