True toads of the genus Rhinella are among the most common and diverse group of
Neotropical anurans. These toads are widely distributed throughout South America …

We discuss the use of the terms venom and poison, in the context of integrative biology, with
particular emphasis on behaviour and natural history. Our purpose is to reach a broad …

Many animals capable of deploying chemical defences are reluctant to use them,
suggesting that synthesis of toxins imposes a substantial cost. Typically, such costs have …

This study investigated the morphology of Rhinella crucifer cutaneous glands, as well as the
protein/peptide profiles and bioactivities of body gland secretions (BGS) and parotoid …

Toad venom is a traditional Chinese medicine with high medicinal value. The existing
quality evaluation standards of toad venom have obvious limitations because of the lack of …

Tetrodotoxin (TTX), one of the most toxic substances in nature, is present in bacteria,
invertebrates, fishes, and amphibians. Marine organisms seem to bioaccumulate TTX from …

Chemical defense in poison frogs derives from lipophilic alkaloids sequestered from dietary
arthropods. Alkaloid composition varies extensively among individuals, populations, and …

Bufadienolides are a class of steroids with a distinctive α-pyrone ring at C17, mostly
produced by toads and consisting of over 100 orthologues. They exhibit potent cardiotonic …

Toads are considered poisonous animals since they have a passive mode of defence
relying on cutaneous poison glands, differently from venomous animals who can inject …

Caecilians (order Gymnophiona) are apodan, snake-like amphibians, usually with fossorial
habits, constituting one of the most unknown groups of terrestrial vertebrates. As in orders …