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Skin-changer
The cloud forests of the Andes are home to a rich assortment of creatures. Housing almost 3,500 species (many of them endemic), the area is of particular importance to the world’s amphibians. And in a pocket of Ecuador’s western forests lives a tiny frog with an interesting ability.
Researchers Katherine and Tim Krynak spotted the new species (Pristimantis mutabilis) in the Reserva Las Gralarias. They scooped it up and saw that the tiny 23mm frog was covered in sharp, thorn-like spines. The Krynaks designated it the “punk rocker” frog: an ode to the fashion choices of the punk subculture.
The next morning, though, they found that the frog had done a 360 on its fashion choice, with its skin completely smooth and spineless. Intrigued, Katherine put the frog in a cup and added some moss. Within five minutes, the spines had returned. To confirm that they were not going crazy (and in true scientific fashion), the Krynaks then put the frog back against a smooth white background and watched as its skin became smooth again before their eyes. It is thought that the spines,alongside the colouration of the frogs help them blend into their natural mossy habitats to elude predators (and nosy scientists).
Further research has confirmed this same ability in another species of genus Pristimantis, and the Krynaks hope to find out whether the ability was retained from a common ancestor or if it evolved independently in each species.
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References: http://bit.ly/1avXRFI http://bit.ly/1NpUv9K Image credit: Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society
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