Anthony's Poison Arrow Frog

Epipedobates anthonyi

Buenaventura, Ecuador - January 2013

The skin secretions of this species are less toxic than those of poison arrow frogs from the genus Dendrobates and Phyllobates but a few of the compounds are under investigation for possible medical use as non-opioid painkillers. One of these, Epibatidine, has been reported to to have an analgesic effect over 200 times more potent than morphine although, in its native form, it is also toxic in low doses due to an affinity for various nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subtypes. Research is currently underway to attempt to develop derivatives of Epibatidine which maintain its analgesic efficacy without the toxic side-effects.

Buenaventura, Ecuador - January 2013