The Bushveld rain frog is found in Southern Africa. When threatened, it puffs itself up to ward off potential attackers.

The frogs are sexually dimorphic, and the male is too small to mount the female properly to reproduce. The white secretion you see on the back of the frog is actually an adhesive that holds the male in place during copulation.

Some organisms, such as the castor bean plant (Ricinus communis), produce substances that inhibit the synthesis of proteins (called translation) within a cell. (The plant, which is native to Africa, is not related to the species of bean plants with which you are likely more familiar.) A protein called ricin, produced within the castor seeds is an extremely potent inhibitor of protein synthesis. In fact, it is one of the strongest natural toxins produced. A single chewed seed can kill child! If the ricin were purified, it would take an amount equivalent to only a few grains of salt to kill an adult. Ricin kills cells by enzymatically cleaving covalent bonds within the large and small ribosomal subunits, rendering the protein-building factori ...

This is the Green vine snake (Ahaetulla nasuta), a slender tree snake found in India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Burma, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam.

The snake is mildly venomous, and its bite causes swelling and pain. They feed on frogs and lizards. There is a widespread myth in parts of southern India that the species uses its pointed head to blind its human victims!

The hammerhead worm is a master of regeneration. Cut one into eight pieces, and you'll get seven new hammerhead worms. Twice a month they'll reproduce by deliberately sticking their tails to the ground, pulling them off, and that tail will become a new hammerhead worm.

Bats have an uncanny ability to track and eat insects on the fly with incredible accuracy. But some moths make these agile mammals miss their mark. Tiger moths (left), for example, emit ultrasonic clicks that jam bat radar. Now, scientists have shown that hawk moths (right) and other species have also evolved this behavior. The nocturnal insects - which are toxic to bats - issue an ultrasonic "warning" whenever a bat is near. After a few nibbles, the bat learns to avoid the noxious species altogether. Interestingly, the sound-producing apparatus is typically located at the tip of the moth's genitals. ...

Plants are essential for any ecosystem, being both a food source and habitat for living things. Although plants are stationary, many are dangerous to touch or eat, making you sick or cause a bad reaction. Some of the most poisonous plants are described below:

Abrus Precarious or Rosary Pea (Left)

This plant has beans that contain a deadly poison. Ironically, their seeds are often used in jewelry and rosary making, but are not harmful when touched, only if chewed or scratched. The poison is known to stop protein synthesis, leading to organ failure.

Ricinus Communis or the Castor Bean (Center)

The castor bean plant comes from Africa and its seed is the source of castor oil used all over the world. However, the seeds contain a deadly poison called ...