The toxic compounds can be found during all of the toad's life stages, including the eggs. The most important poisonous components in Bufo toad secretions are:. Fire-bellied toads. The fire-bellied toad Bombina species gets its name from its bright red, yellow, or orange underside.
It secretes two types of toxins that can cause varying degrees of irritation in humans. The most important poison in newts and salamanders is tetrodotoxin TTX , one of the most dangerous toxins known to man.
It acts on the nervous system and can lead to muscle paralysis. It's found in the skin, muscles, and internal organs of newts and salamanders, as well as in about freshwater and saltwater animals, most notoriously the pufferfish and the blue-ringed octopus.
Any brightly colored, rough-skinned newt or salamander likely contains TTX. Bufo toad secretions. When in eyes or nose, Bufo toad secretions can cause severe irritation, pain, and tissue damage. Licking or swallowing can lead to numbness of the mouth and throat as well as severe and life-threatening effects on the heart as a result of the digoxin-like compounds and catecholamines described above.
These effects include irregular rhythm of the heart, heart block, reduced blood pressure, and cardiac arrest. These severe effects can also occur after absorption through the skin. Fire-bellied toad secretions. Most exposures to fire-bellied toads occur in people's homes from their "pet" fire-bellied toads; typically, the secretions get into the eyes or on the skin. Contact with the eyes can result in intense pain, swelling of the eyelids, short-term visual changes, and infection.
Itching and hives have been reported after skin contact. Severe, body-wide or multiorgan effects have not been reported in humans. In animal studies, elevated blood pressure, decreased heart rate, diarrhea, and damage to red blood cells have occurred. Ingestion of TTX initially causes lip and tongue numbness, followed by numbness of the face, arms, and legs. This is followed by dizziness, drooling, and muscle weakness. It can quickly progress to paralysis of the entire body, including the respiratory muscles.
Without treatment, death can result from the inability to breathe. Anyone who is exposed is at risk. The innocent and curious nature of children and pets make them high risk, and we should always protect pregnant women, people over 65 years of age, and those who are immunocompromised. Anyone who handles an amphibian without proper training or precautions, eats them, or mishandles them in any way, is at high risk. Exposures resulting from dares or bets have caused deaths see This Really Happened.
People in certain parts of the world—China and Southeast Asia in particular—where toad secretions have been used as folk medicine and as an aphrodisiac are also at high risk.
Severe poisoning has also occurred in rural populations where toads and toad eggs were eaten due to food scarcity. Pet frogs and toads are commonly known to spread Salmonella to humans. Decontamination is key, and it is the only treatment that can be done at home. Decontamination means removing the toxin by washing, rinsing, flushing, or irrigating with water. Do not attempt to induce vomiting or try to manage an exposure at home beyond decontamination without seeking advice from a healthcare provider.
There is an antidote, but only for the CAS portion of Bufo toad secretions. This means that the care and treatment provided for poisoned patients is largely supportive and often provided in a hospital.
Call or. A year-old man swallowed a cm about 8 in newt on a dare. Within minutes, he complained of tingling of his lips, which progressed to numbness and weakness of his entire body over the next 2 hours. Although he stated that he thought he was going to die, he refused to be transported to a hospital.
He then collapsed and went into cardiac and respiratory arrest. All recognized families, except for Hynobiidae Asiatic salamanders are found in the United States. Newts typically spend most of their time on land, so their skin is dry and bumpy. Sirens have lungs as well as gills and spend most of their time in water.
No matter the species, all salamanders need to keep their skin moist and need to have offspring in water, so a nearby water source is critical. Most species live in humid forests, though there are some exceptions. The Iranian harlequin newt lives in the Zagros Mountains of western Iran, where there is only water for three or four months a year.
During the wet times it mates and feeds, then goes into a deep sleep in a burrow during the dry times. Some salamanders — 16 species, according to the San Diego Zoo — live in caves and have adapted to living in total darkness with very pale skin and greatly reduced eyes. Salamanders are typically more active during cool times of the day and are nocturnal. During the day they lounge under rocks or in trees to stay cool.
At night they come out to eat. Their bright, colorful skin warns predators to stay away, according to the San Diego Zoo. Many salamanders have glands on their necks or tails that secrete a bad-tasting or even poisonous liquid. Some can also protect themselves from predators by squeezing their muscles to make the needle-sharp tips of their ribs poke through their skin and into the enemy. Some species can shed their tails during an attack and grow a new one.
The axolotl, an aquatic salamander, can grow back limbs lost in fights with predators and damaged organs due to a special immune system.
Salamanders are carnivores, which means they eat meat instead of vegetation. They prefer other slow-moving prey, such as worms, slugs and snails. Salamanders are not dangerous to humans, they are shy and cryptic animals, and are completely harmless if they are not handled or touched.
Handling any salamander and then rubbing your eyes or mucous membranes has the potential to cause irritation and discomfort. This is why enjoying salamanders by observation only is the best policy. This is not only for our safety, but for the salamanders as well. Salamanders have very absorbent skin and the oils and salts from human hands can seriously harm them. Chemicals on the hands such as insect repellents, sunblock, and lotions can further cause damage.
The risk of skin damage that could result in secondary skin infections, as well as bone and muscle injuries from struggling are also a threat. This is why salamanders should never be handled, except during conservation related efforts. Proper hand washing or vinyl gloves eliminate the threat of poisoning during these instances. The toxic abilities of salamanders is one fascinating attribute of these amazing amphibians.
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