Fearless frogs feast on deadly hornets
5 days ago
- #frog behavior
- #hornet predation
- #venom resistance
- A frog species has been discovered to have remarkable resistance to hornet venom, allowing it to prey on hornets despite their deadly stings.
- The study, led by Kobe University ecologist Sugiura Shinji, found that pond frogs actively attacked and consumed hornet workers, even after being stung multiple times.
- Frogs showed no noticeable harm from the stings, unlike similarly sized animals like mice, which can die from a single sting.
- The research suggests that frogs may have developed physiological mechanisms to tolerate venom, such as physical barriers or proteins that block pain and toxicity.
- This discovery could make the frogs valuable model organisms for studying venom tolerance and pain resistance in vertebrates.