International News: Woman busted with 130 poisonous frogs in her luggage in Colombia

By Zoila Palma Gonzalez: On Monday, authorities in Colombia busted a woman with 130 poisonous frogs in her luggage at the Bogota airport.

According to BBC, the woman was charged with wildlife trafficking.

Officials noted that the frogs were found in small film canisters and were dehydrated and stressed.

The Brazilian woman said that she had been given the frogs as a gift from a local community in southern Colombia.

Harlequin frogs, also known as poison-dart frogs (Oophaga histrionica), measure less than the size of a human thumb and the fine for being in their possession could reach 56 million pesos.

Their skin glands produce a highly toxic poison which has in the past been used by indigenous people to coat the tips of the darts they use for hunting. It is strong enough to kill small animals.

Harlequin frogs are a critically endangered species which can be found in humid forests along the Pacific coast between Ecuador and Colombia, and in other countries in Central and South America.

Their endangered status makes them highly sought-after by private collectors in international markets.

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