Post by glowtoad on Jan 7, 2021 11:59:07 GMT
Amphibians secrete a wide variety of compounds from their skin glands. Generally, mucous glands help provide a moist coating on their skin to facilitate cutaneous respiration while granular glands secrete substances that amphibians use as a chemical defence against predators (eg. toxic and noxious compounds) and microorganisms (eg. antimicrobial peptides). This is sometimes displayed with bright, aposematic colouration.
Many different toxic secretions have been found in amphibian skin, which act in numerous ways to disrupt the physiology of potential enemies. For example, newts in the genera Taricha and Notophthalmus synthesise tetrodotoxins in high concentrations; and are co-evolving in an evolutionary arms race with Thamnophis garter snakes where toxicity is a selective pressure. Fire salamanders secrete samandarin alkaloids through their paratoid glands, which can cause convulsions, hypertension and respiratory paralysis in potential predators. Frogs can sequester an array of toxins, such as the potent neurotoxin Zetekitoxin in the Panamanian golden frog and the batrachotoxins in highly toxic Phyllobates poison frogs. The bright yellow Australian corroboree frogs of the genus Pseudophryne synthesise their own pseudophrynamine toxins as well as sequestering pumiliotoxins from their environment to deter predators. Fossorial caecilians are also known to produce defensive toxins with poison glands being discovered on the tails of Siphonops annulatus ringed caecilians as a possible defence against predators as they burrow into the soil.
Many different toxic secretions have been found in amphibian skin, which act in numerous ways to disrupt the physiology of potential enemies. For example, newts in the genera Taricha and Notophthalmus synthesise tetrodotoxins in high concentrations; and are co-evolving in an evolutionary arms race with Thamnophis garter snakes where toxicity is a selective pressure. Fire salamanders secrete samandarin alkaloids through their paratoid glands, which can cause convulsions, hypertension and respiratory paralysis in potential predators. Frogs can sequester an array of toxins, such as the potent neurotoxin Zetekitoxin in the Panamanian golden frog and the batrachotoxins in highly toxic Phyllobates poison frogs. The bright yellow Australian corroboree frogs of the genus Pseudophryne synthesise their own pseudophrynamine toxins as well as sequestering pumiliotoxins from their environment to deter predators. Fossorial caecilians are also known to produce defensive toxins with poison glands being discovered on the tails of Siphonops annulatus ringed caecilians as a possible defence against predators as they burrow into the soil.
