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Monday, November 23, 2009

Photo: Toxic Frogs Get Their Poison From Mites


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Four varieties of strawberry poison dart frogs show the tremendous amount of variation that can be found in a single species.

The characteristic bright colors indicate the presence of toxic chemicals in the frog's skin to help fend off predators. A new study indicates that mites in the frogs' diets provide the bulk of these compounds—not ants, as previously believed.

Photographs courtesy Maureen Donnelly