A species of rare frog has been found to produce a powerful painkiller that is 200 times stronger than morphine. The phantasmal poison frogs have recently been successfully bred in a British aquarium as part of a study on the poison they produce. Although the frogs poison is lethal it is thought that an extract from their skin can block pain 200 times more effectively than morphine. It also has the advantage of being non addictive and without serious side effects. The frog is thought to survive on just seven sites on the western slopes of Ecuadorian Andes so the breeding programme to preserve the species is just the first step in studying the frogs and any potential cure they might produce.