What is the Most Poisonous Animal?
The most poisonous animal in the world is the Golden Poison Frog (also called the Golden Dart Frog), followed by the Fugu pufferfish. The Golden Poison Frog’s Latin species name is Phyllobates terribilis. Living up to its title of the world’s most poisonous animal, the Golden Poison Frog is so lethal that mice and dogs have been known to die from walking on a paper towel previously touched by the frog. The Golden Poison Frog does not generate its poison itself, but gets it from consuming beetles of the family Melyridae. It is currently known whether these beetles are actually more poisonous than the frog that consumes them, but they may actually deserve the title of world’s most poisonous animal. A single Golden Poison Frog contains enough poison to kill 10-20 adult humans, while the pufferfish has enough poison to kill around 30 humans. The Golden Poison Frog is considered more poisonous because its poison is several times more lethal by weight. Both poisons are more than 1200 times d
Geoffrey Pauley, Rochester Hills, MI Dear Geoffrey: It is hard to say which animal would get this prize. A poisonous animal carries harmful chemicals called toxins. Usually, these toxins are used for defense, and are stored in the skin or in special glands. Compare these creatures to venomous animals, which deliver their toxins by stinging, stabbing, or biting. Poisonous creatures don’t intend to hurt other creatures, which is why they have bright colors and markings that send a clear message: “Don’t touch!” If a predator ignores that warning, he might not get a second chance. One swallow, or even a little taste testing, and it’s all over. The toxin will stop the heart or lungs from working, and death will follow. The poison arrow frog and certain salamanders would have to top most people’s list of “The World’s Most Poisonous Animals.” Just two micrograms of toxin from the poison arrow frog is enough to kill a human. A “microgram” is a very small amount. The ink in the period at the en
The poison arrow frog and certain salamanders would have to top most people’s list of “The World’s Most Poisonous Animals.”two micrograms of toxin from the poison arrow frog is enough to kill a human. A “microgram” is a very small amount. The ink in the period at the end of this sentence (if it were printed) will weigh around six micrograms.
