Students create "killer frogs" in the lab.

A group of students in England have successfully bred a rare species of small frog that is capable of killing 10 people with its venom.

Poison dart frogs are a group of venomous frogs found in Central and South America. Measuring just 25 mm in length, they live in tropical forests and use their venom to defend themselves against predators. Currently, deforestation in South America is jeopardizing the future of poison dart frogs. To prevent their extinction, animal experts at Walford & North Shropshire College in England have come up with an idea to help students breed poison dart frogs in the laboratory, Science Daily reports.

The subjects of the students' experiment were two dart frogs (one male and one female) that a student from the school had given them before joining the army.

"Although poison dart frogs lay eggs multiple times, my students were unable to transform the eggs into tadpoles. After researching the environmental conditions necessary for frog reproduction, we adjusted some laboratory conditions," said Simon Metcalfe, the lead researcher.

After the eggs were fertilized, the students placed them in a pond. They maintained the temperature at 27 degrees Celsius and shone ultraviolet light onto the pond to simulate the natural environment of poison dart frogs. Twelve weeks later, the eggs hatched into tadpoles.

"Finally, our efforts have paid off. The first poison dart frogs have moved from water to land," Metcalfe said.

Although poison dart frogs are capable of secreting venom, the group of students were not afraid of them, because they only secrete venom after eating certain poisonous tree bark and insects.

According to VnExpress - VT