A species of poison frog lives in West Virginia. Is it deadly?

CLARKSBURG, W.Va. (WBOY) — Most West Virginians know to look out for venomous snakes , but what about poison frogs?

There is one species of poison frog that lives in the U.S., and it can be found in West Virginia and across most of the East Coast. The pickerel frog can secrete sour-smelling toxins from its skin when threatened or stressed.

However, unlike some poison frogs in South America that can cause paralysis and even death, pickerel frogs aren't fatal or even particularly harmful to humans. The secretion can be irritating to humans or pets, especially if it gets in a dog's mouth, but the toxins are only fatal to smaller animals that prey on the frogs, like snakes.

In fact, snakes are known to avoid pickerel frogs and other species that look similar for this reason. It is the only frog in the U.S. that is considered poisonous, although there are some toads and salamanders that secrete similar toxins.

Other Weird WV Animals

This snake in West Virginia plays dead when threatened

Blue crawdads are found in West Virginia more than ...

Did you know there are freshwater jellyfish in West Virginia?

Pickerel frogs can be identified by the two rows of squarish spots running down their back that look almost drawn on. They are about 2-4 inches long and are dark green-brown, although they bellies and underside of their hind legs are yellow.

Although they are historically used as bait for fishing, it is illegal to possess pickerel frogs in West Virginia .

Pickerels are one of 11 types of frogs found in West Virginia . Although the other frogs in the state aren't harmful to humans, most naturalist recommend not picking them up because oils and bacteria on human skin can damage the protective coating on a frog's skin.