Article
Dirk Ercken/Shutterstock.com
Mini Read,

Don’t Lick This Frog

(Its poison could kill 10 people!)

By Lauren Tarshis
From the September 2019 Issue
Featured Skill: Vocabulary and Grammar,
Topics: Animals,
Common Core Standards
  • Anchor Standards
    R.1, L.4, L.5, L.6
  • Grade 4
    RI.4.1, L.4.4, L.4.5, L.4.6
  • Grade 5
    RI.5.1, L.5.4, L.5.5, L.5.6
  • Grade 6
    RI.6.1, L.6.4, L.6.5, L.6.6
TEKS Standards
  • Grade 4
    4.3a, b; 4.7b
  • Grade 5
    5.3a, b; 5.7b
  • Grade 6
    6.2a, b; 6.6b

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What could be cuter than this little yellow frog? Look at its sweet, bulging eyes! And those tiny feet! Just looking at it makes you smile and say awwwwww!

But maybe you should be screaming ahhhhhhhhh!

Because that’s not just any frog. That’s a golden poison dart frog, the most poisonous animal on the planet. There are about 4,700 kinds of frogs in the world, but only about 180 types are poisonous. The golden poison dart frog is the most toxic of all. The candy-colored little amphibian has enough deadly poison in its body to kill 10 big, strong humans. 

Powerful Chemicals

Elena Kazanskaya/Shutterstock.com

More than half of Earth’s animal and plant species live in the rainforest.

But you don’t really have to be afraid. Unlike a venomous snake or insect, poison frogs don’t bite or sting. Their poison is inside their bodies, just under their skin. When a frog is threatened, the venom oozes through its skin, the way we humans sweat when we run around. The frog’s poison is deadly only if it gets into a victim’s body. So unless you’re planning to lick an oozing golden poison frog, don’t worry.

But what if someone did lick one?

Death would be quick. First, they’d go numb. Their heart would pound like a cannon. Boom! Boom! Boom! Their muscles would freeze. They’d gasp . . . you get the idea.

The frog’s poison, a chemical known as BTX, is one of nature’s most powerful toxins. So powerful, in fact, that it could one day actually help humans.

That may sound surprising, but chemicals from other noxious plants and animals have already been used to create dozens of lifesaving medicines. Scientists believe that BTX might treat people with heart problems, or relieve constant pain from accidents or illness.  

The Dazzling Rainforest 

Anton Shahrai/Shutterstock.com 

This is Colombia, the golden poison dart frog’s home. 

You’re not likely to see a golden poison frog unless you travel to the country of Colombia, in South America. You’d have to venture into its rainforest. Like all of the world’s rainforests, this dazzling wilderness is home to thousands of animals and plants, many existing nowhere else on Earth. There are stunning blue lizards and pink dolphins that leap out of crystal-clear rivers.

And that’s where you might find a tiny golden poison dart frog. If you spot one, don’t get too close. But you don’t have to run away screaming. Just consider yourself lucky to have seen one of nature’s most extraordinary and powerful creatures. 

WORD HUNT

In the article, find:

  • 2 nouns that mean poison or poisons
  • 3 adjectives that mean poisonous
  • 1 simile (a comparison using like or as)  

FACT FINDER!

  • WHAT kind of animal is a frog?
  • WHERE is Colombia?
  • WHY are rainforests special?

This article was originally published in the September 2019 issue.  


Can't-Miss Teaching Extras

This website from the San Diego Zoo is chock-full of information about poison frogs. Your students will love learning about these “jewels of the rainforest.” Check out the “Fantastic Frogs” video at the bottom of the page to learn more.

You may be familiar with poison frogs and venomous snakes, but did you know that certain mammals can produce venom, too? Introduce students to the slow loris and other adorable but dangerous animals in this Business Insider article.

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