Shape-shifting frog discovered in South America
Thursday, March 26, 2015, 10:32 AM - If you thought the chameleon was impressive, you might have to make room for a new champion when it comes to "blending in."
From the mountainous region of Ecuador comes a new discovery: a tiny frog with an incredibly unique quality. Pristimantis mutabilis is capable of shape-shifting, going from spiky to smooth in a matter of minutes.
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The tiny amphibian was first spotted in 2006 in a protected cloud forest. The Chocó cloud forest is considered a hotspot when it comes to biodiversity—with several birds, butterflies and even amphibians being unique to the area
When it was first discovered by Katherine and Tim Krynak, its unique appearance earned it the name punk rocker. It wasn't until 2009 that the pair were able to capture one. After a detailed photo session, the punk rocker was placed in a cup.
When the Krynaks checked back on the frog the following day, they were disappointed to find that the spines had fallen off. To their surprise, the next time they checked on the small animal its punk rocker appearance had returns.
Genetic documentation by Juan Guayasamin, lead author of the new paper, as well as analysis of its cries determined that the frog was a new, different species.
This tiny tree frog can change its skin from smooth to spiky. It's the world’s one and only shape-shifting amphibian. pic.twitter.com/xM7wgxR7MY
— Cool Earth (@coolearth) March 25, 2015
Unlikely coincidence?
While scientists took a closer look at the 'punk rocker,' Carl Hutter (co-author of the paper) found another frog that also had the ability to change its skin texture. Primates sobetes is twice as big as the 'punk rocker' but also capable of "shape-shifting.
The two species while related are part of different groups. This suggests that the trait was evolved independently in parallel and has experts wondering if more species out there could also show this feature.
Krynak also took the moment to highlight the need for preserving amphibian habitats, a cause that is very important to her.
"Amphibians are declining so rapidly that scientists are often times describing new species from museum specimens because the animals have already gone extinct in the wild, and very recently," she told Live Science.
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