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News From the Field

Researchers list reasons not to lick a toad


January 23, 2017

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The cane toad, which overran Australia when introduced there, and Panama's iconic, endangered golden frog both belong to the family Bufonidae. Researchers combed through many research papers to compile all of the known chemicals produced by members of this amphibian family well known to practitioners of folk medicine. This is a first step toward the identification of new pharmaceuticals from amphibians at a time when human diseases are becoming alarmingly antibiotic resistant.Full Story

Source
Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute

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