Chapter
The Alkaloid Tale of Poison Dart Frogs
15:53 - 26:57 (11:04)
Scientists have found that poison dart frogs are known to possess a special alkaloid that they obtain through their food components, and it is the same component that protects them from predators. Researchers have traced the origin of this alkaloid back to immigrant frogs that made, what is now called, the Hawaiian Islands home and discovered the missing piece in understanding the creatures.
Clips
The anticoagulant dicumarole and synthetic analogues, once found in mouldy sweet clover, are now commonly used in humans as anticoagulants, while blood thinners in rodenticides have evolved over time.
15:53 - 19:28 (03:34)
Summary
The anticoagulant dicumarole and synthetic analogues, once found in mouldy sweet clover, are now commonly used in humans as anticoagulants, while blood thinners in rodenticides have evolved over time. Deadly nerve poison known as tetrodotoxin occurs in dozens of pufferfish species, yet Japan considers pufferfish a delicacy.
ChapterThe Alkaloid Tale of Poison Dart Frogs
Episode#537: The Hidden Knowledge of Animals — Mark Plotkin on Nature’s Medicine Cabinet
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
Scientists have discovered that the Hawaiian poison dart frog, which is not native to Hawaii, has developed its own unique poison separate from the Panamanian species it descends from.
19:28 - 26:57 (07:29)
Summary
Scientists have discovered that the Hawaiian poison dart frog, which is not native to Hawaii, has developed its own unique poison separate from the Panamanian species it descends from. The frogs also exhibit unique behavior, seeking out and consuming specific insects that contain compounds they use to store poison in their skin.