Re: [vernalpool] toxins

That's a pretty interesting question. It's always been my understanding
that it takes a fair bit of harassment (like, trying to eat them, for
instance) to cause amphibs to excrete toxins at a level that would be of
concern. The handling that's happening in a big night migration setting, or
generally out herping, should not present the risk that your volunteer
questioned. Consider the fact that amphibians regularly come in contact
with each other in many settings without ill effect. Most analogously,
maybe, in pitfall traps. Dozens of salamanders and frogs can wind up
spending hours together at the bottom of a pitfall trap with no obvious
poisoning going on.

Short answer is I don't know, but the reasoned answer is no, that's not
something to be concerned about. One thing to be sure you tell your
volunteers - do not (do not) use hand sanitizer while they're out playing
with amphibians. If people feel they really have to use that stuff, make
sure they only do it at the end of the night when they're done handling
animals.

Matt

On Mon, Mar 7, 2011 at 2:36 PM, Laura Heady <ltheady@gw.dec.state.ny.us>wrote:

>
>
> One of our Big Night volunteers recently submitted this question. While I
> was never overly concerned about toxins harming our volunteers, I never
> considered her question about harm to other amphibians, and thought I'd
> share it with the group. Any thoughts?
> Thanks,
> Laura
>
> "Dear Laura, Since some amphibians produce poison for example American
> toads and red efts which could get on your hands if you pick them up, isn't
> there a danger that this poison could be transmitted to subsequent animals
> that you pick up that night thus damaging them?"
>
> Laura Heady
> Hudson River Estuary Program
> Biodiversity Outreach Coordinator
>
> NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
> in cooperation with Cornell University
> 21 South Putt Corners Road, New Paltz, NY 12561
> Phone: 845-256-3061 Fax: 845-255-3649
> ltheady@gw.dec.state.ny.us
> www.dec.ny.gov/lands/4920.html
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
>

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

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