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Poisonous Frog Has Scary, Inflatable Backside
Us humans are always trying to make our butts either bigger or smaller - but they'll never be as impressive as the Cuyaba dwarf frog!
Catherine Marucci
06.03.18

There are over one hundred species of frogs that we know of with different types of warning colors on their bodies. This phenomenon is called aposematic coloration, but the Cuyaba dwarf frog may have taken it up a notch and managed to outdo the rest.

These colors are used to warn predators to stay away. If we go by this frog’s looks, he is not to be messed with! The Cuyaba dwarf frog has an adaptive warning mark with two giant spots on its backside resembling eyes.

Who said nature couldn’t be creative?

Eye see you!

frog
National Geographic
Source:
National Geographic

They use the eyes to ward off attackers making them more than a fashion statement. If it feels threatened, the frog will puff up and turn around making their backside look like the giant head. When they see it, most predators quickly retreat.

Small but deadly

Although the giant eyes are warning signs, this type of frog does have a plan B if they do not work out. Poison!

Under the spots they have very toxic macro glands with enough power to kill around one hundred and fifty mice in a single blow. The poison will hardly affect humans except for a light sting and drowsiness, which is still enough to let the frog escape from most predators.

frog back
Berkeley
Source:
Berkeley

They also have a relatively small size meaning they are harder to find, and other than the false eyes, they have a plain look, so they avoid most attackers and any pet traders thus keeping their population steady and safe from any risk of endangerment. Despite their unique ability, these little frogs are rarely captured or sold as pets.

Nature’s squeak toy

Another unique frog is the Desert Rain frog! The unique thing about this frog is that its calls sound like a squeak toy. It lives and burrows in the sand throughout the day and wakes up in the night to eat insects and larvae – and to scare off predators with its mighty warrior cry.

desert frog
Dean Boshoff via YouTube
Source:
Dean Boshoff via YouTube

Unlike the Cuyaba dwarf frog, this little one is actually threatened by habitat loss and is not doing the best in regard to population size due to diamond mining and increasing urban encroachment. However, the only real concern they have are humans, since they don’t have many native populations of predators to hunt them – except for the possible exception of a confused dog in search of a squeaky toy.

sandy frog
LittlestBean via Imgur
Source:
LittlestBean via Imgur

They have little plump bodies with bulging eyes and a see-through stomach. Due to how these frogs develop, they cannot hop or leap. Instead, they walk on the sand. They do not require much water to live, although they are commonly found alongside beaches where they enjoy the moist sand.

A celebrity among frogs

And for the last but certainly not least of this list, we have Diane’s bare-hearted glass frog, also known as Kermit the Frog’s doppelganger. This frog is called a glass frog because it has a translucent stomach. As for its connection to the famous Kermit the Frog, they have the same eyes!

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Kermit frog
upvotesgalor via Imgur
Source:
upvotesgalor via Imgur

It is quite small and found in Costa Rica. Due to its small stature, its mating call sounds much more like an insect. This is why this tiny creature was only recently discovered. Previously, researchers thought it was just an insect. As for where it got its title, it was named after one of the researcher’s mother, Diane!

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