Hands Off!

Posted by Laura Jackson on September 4, 2004

Q: I learned that the Am. toad does not make its poison, but acquires the poison from its diet. What part of its diet contains the poison and exactly what is the poison?

A: I hadn't heard about this before so I did some research but found nothing that mentions an American Toad diet providing the essentials for any poison. A. Toads eat a variety of foods but none of these, as far as I know, contain any poisonous substances themselves that could be retained for their own self-defense. The Monarch Butterfly caterpillar does acquire its poison from the milkweed it eats but this is a completely different arrangement. Thanks for your good question.

John Wiessinger ( September 8, 2004)