Author: Sarah Zielinski / Source: Science News
At some point eight to 10 years ago, some toads stowed away on a ship in Asia, possibly Ho Chi Minh City, and hitched a ride to Madagascar. Those invaders, Asian common toads, have been slowly spreading across the large island ever since.
The toad’s skin contains a toxin that kills nearly anything that tries to eat the amphibian. Scientists have been warning of the toad’s danger to ecosystems for years, but they’ve lacked evidence of just how dangerous the toads could be. Now, a genetic study confirms that nearly all of Madagascar’s predators would be vulnerable to the toad’s toxin.
Duttaphrynus melanostictus is one of many toad species that secrete potent toxins called bufadienolides. These chemicals disrupt the flow of sodium and potassium in cell walls, something that is particularly important for the function of muscles, and especially the heart.
“Animals that are not resistant to the toads that take a mouthful of toad can die extremely quickly from heart failure,” says Wolfgang Wüster, a herpetologist at Bangor University in Wales.
There are species, including reptiles and mammals, that have evolved resistance to the toxin. And…
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