Antipredator Skin Secretions of Some Tropical Salamanders (Bolitoglossa) are Toxic to Snake Predators

The skin secretions of two neotropical salamanders, Bolitoglossa rostrata and B. subpalmata, adversely affect snakes of the genus Thamnophis, which commonly prey on amphibians. The secretion causes the snake to pause during ingestion, paralyzes the mouth, and may render the snake incapable of moving or responding to external stimuli. Snakes often died after attempting to eat the toxic B. rostrata.