Here’s how poison dart frogs safely hoard toxins in their skin

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A protein found in the frogs’ intestines may transport toxins to the skin

a poison dart frog with a black-spotted, golden body and black feet sitting on a rockDiablito poison dart frogs (one pictured) accumulate their trademark chemical defenses with the help of a toxin-binding protein that transports poisonous compounds from food to skin.</p>&#xA;" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="010424_eg_poison_dart_frog_feat" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/www.sciencenews.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/010424_eg_poison_dart_frog_feat.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/www.sciencenews.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/010424_eg_poison_dart_frog_feat.jpg?fit=680%2C383&ssl=1" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/www.sciencenews.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/010424_eg_poison_dart_frog_feat.jpg?fit=1440%2C810&ssl=1" data-orig-size="1440,810" data-permalink="https://www.sciencenews.org/010424_eg_poison_dart_frog_feat" decoding="async" height="580" sizes="(max-width: 1030px) 100vw, 1030px" src="https://i0.wp.com/www.sciencenews.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/010424_eg_poison_dart_frog_feat.jpg?fit=1030%2C580&ssl=1" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/www.sciencenews.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/010424_eg_poison_dart_frog_feat.jpg?w=1440&ssl=1 1440w, https://i0.wp.com/www.sciencenews.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/010424_eg_poison_dart_frog_feat.jpg?resize=680%2C383&ssl=1 680w, https://i0.wp.com/www.sciencenews.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/010424_eg_poison_dart_frog_feat.jpg?resize=800%2C450&ssl=1 800w, https://i0.wp.com/www.sciencenews.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/010424_eg_poison_dart_frog_feat.jpg?resize=330%2C186&ssl=1 330w, https://i0.wp.com/www.sciencenews.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/010424_eg_poison_dart_frog_feat.jpg?resize=768%2C432&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/www.sciencenews.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/010424_eg_poison_dart_frog_feat.jpg?resize=1030%2C580&ssl=1 1030w, https://i0.wp.com/www.sciencenews.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/010424_eg_poison_dart_frog_feat.jpg?resize=1380%2C776&ssl=1 1380w" width="1030">

Diablito poison dart frogs (one pictured) accumulate their trademark chemical defenses with the help of a toxin-binding protein that transports poisonous compounds from food to skin.

Marie-Therese Fischer (CC BY 4.0)

Toxins found in the skin of poison dart frogs may hitch a ride there via molecular taxicabs.

As a group, poison dart frogs (Dendrobatidae) host an assortment of more than 500 poisonous compounds called alkaloids that the amphibians acquire from a steady

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