Birds may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of poisonous animals, but two
common
species have been found in Papua New Guinea that accumulate a
toxic arsenal in their feathers.
The
regent whistler
(Pachycephala schlegelii) and the
rufous-naped bellbird
(Aleadryas rufinucha) have been caught in possession of a potent neurotoxin.
Batrachotoxin
causes muscle cramps and almost instantaneous heart failure
upon contact with elevated levels.
The brightly colored birds store a metabolized version of the
poison in their feathers
, creating an unpleasant surprise for any predator that dares to try it, reports
Science Alert.
And researchers have just discovered how these birds, as well as those species already known to be poisonous, avoid getting sick in the process.
The hooded pitohui (Knud Jonsson).
Because ingesting Batrachotoxin can be fatal;
even making light contact with it is unpleasant, the researchers found.
"It's a bit like cutting onions, but with a nerve agent, I guess," says Kasun Bodawatta, an evolutionary ecologist at the University of Copenhagen, who ended up with a dripping nose and mouth while taking feather samples in a confined space from a pitohui. hooded (Pitohui dicroso), indicates
Science Alert.
The medium-sized songbird with striking orange and black feathers was the first bird discovered
hoarding this poison just 30 years ago.
Poison to ward off predators
While the pitohui's venom level can vary geographically, it is one of the most venomous bird species known.
The toxin is suspected of being
a deterrent to predators or parasites
or possibly a combination of both.
"Locals don't like spicy food and stay away from these birds because according to them their meat burns in the mouth like chili," explains evolutionary ecologist and biogeographer Knud Jønsson of the Natural History Museum of Denmark. says
Science Alert.
"In fact, that's how researchers first became aware of them. And the toxin can be felt when you hold on to one of them. It feels a bit off, and holding onto one for long is not an attractive option." This could indicate that the poison serves to deter those
who would like to eat them
to some extent."
The two newly discovered toxic species live alongside the Pitohui in some of the most isolated jungles in the world and remains of the
Choresine beetle,
which are full of batrachotoxins, have been found in their guts.
But the exact source of its poison has yet to be confirmed.
"We were very surprised to find that these birds were venomous, as no new species of venomous bird has been discovered in more than two decades," says Jønsson.
"Particularly because these two bird species are very common in this part of the world."
The Regent Whistler (Ian Shriner).
South American
poison dart frogs are famous for exuding the same venom in higher concentrations from their skin, and have been known to feast on Choresine beetles.
Taking inspiration from these frogs, Bodawatta and his colleagues delved into the genetics of the birds to see if there were any similarities in their tolerance to toxins, reports
Science Alert.
The neurotoxin works "by forcing sodium channels in skeletal muscle tissue to stay open" and can cause violent seizures and ultimately death, Bodawatta explains.
The bird species "acquires a mutation that offers resistance to the toxin. This gives the bird an advantage and opens up a whole new food source that is not available to its ecosystem competitors. So clearly there is an arms race going on." Jønsson explains.
"Subsequently, birds that have developed the ability to eat toxic food become toxic and can fend off predators further up the food chain. And so the race continues up the chain. It's evolution: anything can happen, but at often takes a long time."
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