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  • RESEARCH HIGHLIGHT

An absorbing tale: poison dart frogs might have a ‘toxin sponge’

Experiments suggest that the frogs use internal proteins to soak up their own toxins.
Two golden poison frogs sitting on a stone

It’s not clear what makes golden poison frogs impervious to the toxin in their tissues — a toxin so potent that just 100 micrograms can kill a human. Credit: David and Micha Sheldon/Alamy

Poison dart frogs lace their bodies with deadly toxins to deter hungry predators. But how do toxic animals avoid poisoning themselves? The answer might lie with ‘toxin sponges’.

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Nature 596, 166 (2021)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-021-02104-6

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