Many pet owners bemoan the finicky eating habits of their cats and dogs.
Most native animals steer clear of fireflies of the common North American genus Photinus, which contain predator-deterring toxins called lucibufagins. Lucibufagins are chemically related to toxins found in the venom of poisonous Chinese toads and in some plants. These compounds are potent cardiac stimulants that may be lethal even in small doses. More recently, two Pogona lizards at the Philadelphia Zoo that had been moved to an outdoor enclosure for the summer also died after eating fireflies. Cornell herpetologist Kraig Adler, one of the report's authors, notes that reptiles have become popular pets.