Poisonous Amphibian

Several sub-species exist, all splashed with vivid pink, orange, red, yellow or green streaks that warn of deadly secretions. No natural cure for their venom is known.

Poison passes by touch, usually when someone steps on one barefoot or grabs it because it looks pretty. Glands on each side of the head release a creamy fluid through the skin when the frog feels threatened. Each round of contact requires a save vs. poison, at a cumulative -2 if an open wound is near. Success means no toxin absorbed that round.

The venom attacks both heart and nerves through a mix of chemicals. A failed save through unbroken skin causes nausea, vomiting, stomach pain and inflammation where it touched. If the toxin enters the blood, say via a cut on someone's hand or a dart's point, it paralyzes at once, then brings violent convulsions and death within 1-4 rounds.

They live only in wet tropical lands. A male lays down scent marks to draw mates and chirps noisily at any rival frog that intrudes. Tadpoles hatch in water pooled inside a bromeliad, then wriggle onto the father's back for a ride to deeper water, where he leaves them. Roasting a frog over a fire makes the skin shrink and squeeze the venom from its glands.

Also called the giant or aga toad, it has horizontal pupils and swollen poison glands behind the eyes. It measures 6-8 inches and weighs up to 1 pound, while a marine sub-species reaches 9 inches and 5 pounds.

Irritated or threatened, it releases a venom that disrupts the heart's rhythm if swallowed or introduced into the blood. Mere touch causes stinging, burning and numbness for 1-6 hours; a hand so affected cannot hold anything. Each round of contact calls for a saving throw, at -2 if the poison enters an open wound, is swallowed or comes on a coated weapon. Failure brings chest tightness, drooling, convulsions and seizures, then death in 1-4 minutes; success means only the irritation above.

It lives in most temperate lands from desert to jungle, wherever insects, its sole food, abound, and farmers appreciate it for eating crop pests. Mating is fiercely competitive, with a female sometimes facing up to 12 suitors at once.