Frog Week: Gastric-brooding Frog.

Alas, the time has come to end Frog Week. It's been a fun ride; frogs are usually taken for granted, but they really are cool creatures that deserve a lot more love than they receive. Hopefully, you all have been stunned by how strange and wonderful one of the most common types of animal can be.

But we still have one more. Remember how I said that today's would be a little more subtle? Take a looksie at this one and tell me if you notice anything weird about it:



Looks like a fairly normal frog, doesn't it? Look again.


From www.global-greenhouse-warming.com.

Yes, that is a very tiny, immature frog in its mother's mouth. The frog in that picture is one of two types of Gastric-brooding frog (Rheobatrachus). Gastric-brooding frogs are - or were- native to Australia. They have been seen eating insects on land and in the water. They were discovered in 1984 and were among the few aquatic Aussie frogs (read: everything is backwards and on crack in Oz). They were called "platypus frogs" down under simply because they were aquatic.

As the non-Australian name might imply, Gastric-brooding frogs were the only frogs in existence that hatched their young in the mother's stomach. Some of the eggs were eaten; by the time all was said and done, the mother had approximately 21 young in her belly. The non-digested eggs were coated with a substance called prostaglandin E2, which turned off the mother frog's stomach acid. The babies emerged not as tadpoles, but as juvenile frogs. Reminder: The last frog we saw with highly-developed young was the pipa toad, whose babies emerged from her back in a fashion akin to Gremlins without any fluffy fur. Yeah, reptilian parthenogenesis doesn't hold a candle to the sheer weirdness amphibians can do to reproduce.

If you have been paying attention to the grammar of my paragraphs, 1. you're probably a linguist and 2. you will notice that many of the verbs concerning these frogs were in the past tense. These frogs are either extinct or very, very endangered, depending on whose list you check. They were officially discovered in 1984; the Southern variety may have gone out of existence before then, and the last Northern individual was seen sometime in the '80's. We thought the pearly tree frog was elusive; at least we are fairly sure that it still exists. The reasons for these frogs going extinct are multifold, but fungal infection and habitat loss are the most commonly cited causes.



This frog and the pearly tree frog both show how fragile amphibians can be. That's a shame, seeing as they're crucial to many ecosystems and often beautiful to look at.  With countless amphibian species vanishing right under our noses, this year, make a resolution to give them their due.

Frog Week: Hairy Frog.

So many amphibians, so little time. As frog week winds down and the new year comes to a close, I find myself wondering what to end the year on. Something subtly freaky would not cut it, no sir! Saving a more subtle frog for tomorrow meant that I HAD to do this one...




The hairy frog (Trichobatrachus robustus) is native to Central Africa. It eats any small, squirmy thing that will fit in its mouth. It is mostly a terrestrial frog, but lays its eggs in the water. If you see a "monster frog" or "horror frog" list, there is absolutely no doubt you will see this frog on there. Cameroon seems to have horror frogs besides this guy, too. Be afraid.

The species is, obviously, named for the 'hair' on the body and thighs of the male specimens. Yes, only the males have the species's namesake 'hair,' and even then, only in breeding season. The females are much smaller and lack the growths entirely. It's sorta like in humans where the ladies are nude, but the men can have hair anywhere.

The 'hair' on this frog is, as one probably guessed, not really hair. They are technically called "dermal papillae." In mammals, these would be a part of regular hair growth. In frogs, they're extended into what scientists think are 'gills' of sorts. They have arteries running through them and a lot of surface area, just like the gills of larval salamanders. Since the male spends quite a lot of time guarding the water-bound eggs before they hatch, it makes sense for him to have this bizarre beard.

Source: Blackburn, NewScientist.

As if hair wasn't weird enough, this frog is one of the rare frogs sporting retractable claws. These weapons come with a sinister kick: much like Wolverine's signature blades, the hairy frog's claws can only be unleashed if they poke through the frog's skin. They are not true claws, being all bone, but they still hurt predators quite a bit. This is officially a frog who thinks he is a cat. Or Wolverine, take your pick.

Oh, and people in Cameroon roast and eat this froggie. It's not endangered except by habitat loss, either. Hoppy New Year! *Shot for horrible pun.*

Frog Week: Pearly Tree Frog.

You know how every frog entry I make keeps bringing up the point about how frogs, of all animals, are the most prone to being endangered? This has to be among the most endangered frog species in existence...so much so that one of the few pieces of evidence that it exists is a children's trading card:

(I actually have this card, but the uploader was being screwy.)

Yes, that's a thing. It's called a Pearly Tree Frog, but most sources, even Wikipedia and reptile-keepers, use its scientific name Nyctixalus margaritifer (disclaimer: this frog will not bring you drinks). It is native only to the island of Java in Indonesia. Although there are more photos of this guy than I originally thought (searching "pearly tree frog" will get you almost nowhere), it is still a very rare, very beautiful frog.



Although only listed on the IUCN website as "Vulnerable," just going by the description on that site, this frog should be at least endangered. They cite their reasoning as "Listed as Vulnerable because its Extent of Occurrence is less than 20,000 km2, its distribution is severely fragmented, and there is continuing decline in the extent and quality of its forest habitat in Java." The only reason it isn't outright endangered is because so very little is known about it. Fewer than ten specimens are known. Why is that not enough to put something on the Endangered list?

Furthermore, for a LONG time, this frog was thought extinct. Records of its existence miraculously resurfaced in 1997. The reasons behind this re-emergence are even more obscure than the storm that brought crested geckos back into existence. (Note to nature- thanks for that one.) If it can vanish and reappear once, it can do so again. Reminder: This is a bling-bling frog we're talking about, not a camouflaged gecko.

And THIS is how you propose to a herpetologist. No exceptions.

Apparently, some people DO have Pearly Tree Frogs in captivity. Many of them are probably smuggled in under the name Nyctixalus pictus - a frog close enough to mistake for this rare beauty.  Judging from the responses to the posts, the frogs were wild caught, and the care tips given for them looked basic to N. pictus. With any luck, N. margaritifer will at least get a strong captive base like the Scimitar-Horned Oryx. Otherwise, we may have another vanishing act with no encore.

They Actually Eat That: Psychoactive Toads.

...Well, crap. I've already done frogs on "They Actually Eat That." That means I can't fit this column into this theme week. Boo. Nothing to see here, folks. Go on home.

...

HAHAHAHA! Did you really think I couldn't find another way to slip frogs into here again? There's one aspect of frog-eating that, if memory serves, was not adequately covered the last time we looked at people eating frogs. That is, of course, the infamous idea of licking toads. Yes, They Actually Lick That.



I don't speak German, but I can if you like! ((C) Fox, Groening, etc.)

The popular concept of toad-licking originated in the 1970's. Supposedly, hippie teens were using toads as yet another way to get high. This has very little basis in fact, but there is a whole church for licking toads (called the Church of the Toad of Light). If getting high off of toads is just an urban legend, it's a very popular one.

Some toads do have psychoactive toxins in their skin. The main trip-frog is Bufo alvaris, the Colorado River/Sonoran Desert Toad. The skin and poison of this toad contains the substances bufotenin and 5-MeO-DMT - both powerful hallucinogens. The toads can be safely milked for these toxins once a month. If licking the froggies isn't your thing, smoking the powdered toxin works, too. Just beware; it has rules just like any other drug and is illegal to possess in several states.

Push there to be sent to a world of rainbows and froggies.

This does not mean that you should, by any means, go around picking up random toads just to lick them.  The mucous of many amphibians is toxic. As in, "kill you in a few hours, if not quicker" toxic. At the very least, many of them will make you sick. Also, there's NO five-second rule with amphibians...so don't use that as an excuse to lick wild animals. They really hate that.

Does licking toads work? Short answer: Yes. Long answer: Yes, but be VERY careful.

As an interesting side note, man's best friend has also taken up man's liking for acid amphibians. In Australia, dogs have been found getting plastered on the non-native cane toads. In this case, the toads are also invasive species, which Australia does NASTY things with. Getting licked now and again is not a bad spot to be in.

Close enough.

Frog Week: Turtle Frog.

Hello, hello! If you look above you, you will see a brand, shiny-new banner! Yes, I know it's still a little misaligned, but we have gerbils working on that. Welcome to Frog Week, one and all!  



Wait. Those are frogs? They look oddly reptilian for frogs. Holy carp, are they rejects for experiments to create real Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles? That would be awesome.

Haha, rest assured, the pink, fleshy creatures up there are indeed frogs. They're turtle frogs (Myobatrachus gouldii) - burrowing frogs native only to one arid region in Western Australia. That these frogs are Australian should explain a lot to many of you. They are approximately 2 inches long, which only adds to their strange cuteness. They are the only members in the genus Myobatrachus, meaning that they're unique, even for Aussie creatures.

Turtle, turtle! :D

Turtle frogs do indeed look a lot like turtles. They have small heads, round bodies, and stumpy limbs. Even though there are other burrowing froggies out there, turtle frogs even dig like turtles.We really are not fit to judge if these little guys are turtle-y enough for the Turtle Club, but they sure do come close.

Turtle frogs are uniquely adapted to a hot, dry environment. They hatch underground, developing entirely within the eggshell. Most of their time is spent underground or digging for termites. Even when calling, the males only have their strange, alien heads above the ground. They only emerge after it rains, probably freaking out several bystanders.



These frogs eat termites. Only termites. (If you read the entry on numbats, another Australian termite eater, this should sound familiar.) We suppose this is a good thing if you ever find the buggers eating your furniture. Otherwise, termites may be a little bit difficult to find should you desire one of these weird frogs as a pet. I'm not even sure if they can be kept as pets due to this strange food source.

This frog, unlike many others this week, is under absolutely no threat. Phew! 

Bio-Art: Malamp.

So, I said I was going to do the flying silkworms this week. However, seeing as this week's theme will be frogs, change of plans. Frogs are one of science's most common organisms; of course somebody has done scientific art with them. Creepy, cool scientific art.

Malamp features specially-stained frog skeletons...gone horribly, horribly wrong. Some are missing legs. Others have far too many legs. The culprits are usually parasites like Ribeiroia or dragonfly nymphs, which, much like French and Vietnamese, find frog legs delicious. The result is either frogs with limbs missing or frogs with too many legs. Way too many legs.

The third leg is nothing...

Ecological artist Brandon Ballengée specializes in amphibian deformities. Freaky frogs are on every continent with frogs; Ballengée has been tracking them extensively in Europe and the U.S., where they are particularly abundant. Amphibians with crazy limbs can be found almost everywhere in the U.S.  and are only getting more plentiful. We get frogs with multiple limbs while frogs lose limbs in the rest of the world.



Ballengée, in cooperation with Arts Catalyst, was commissioned to turn his passion for deformed amphibians into art in 1996. The stain he uses on the skeletons for the project coats cartilage in blue and bone in red. The images are then printed and put on display for all to see. The actual skeletons are backlit below them.  Few things are crazier than a frog with twenty legs and a cool paintjob.

The video lied: I only count 6 legs! Art (c) Ballengee, but it's very cool.

This is, however, only half the project. The other part is actually going out with people and collecting the little froggies. This gives the general public a look at tadpoles as they've never seen them before: as freaky, swimming indicators of environmental health. You will be hearing a lot about how fragile amphibians can be this week, so I will only mention it once here. The art speaks for itself.

Malamp was installed in Turin, Italy in 2010, but has also been in Cincinnati. There will probably be an announcement if the multi-limbed, glowing frogs ever make their way to you. You'd think something like that would wind up on the news.