Formless Chameleon-like Frog Discovered in Ecuador

A new species of frog which can change its skin texture has been discovered.

The species, Pristimantis mutabilis or mutable rain frog, can grow spines on its body when placed in presence of green cover but transforms shape in minutes to conceal spines when removed from such environment. Researchers who found the frog believe it shifts shape to evade predators.

Researchers first spotted the frog in 2006 in a protected forest reserve in Ecuador's Andes Mountains. However it was only 2009 that Katherine Krynak and husband Tim Krynak could find a frog that they got home to study.

When they picked up the frog in a cup it had spines. Next morning they found the frog's spines had disappeared. Thinking they picked up the wrong frog, they decided to leave the amphibian in the reserve. Katherine placed some moss in the cup to make the frog comfortable.

To their surprise, the duo found the frog's spines had returned.

"The spines and coloration help them blend into mossy habitats, making it hard for us to see them. But whether the texture really helps them elude predators still needs to be tested," Katherine Krynak said.

The frog takes less than three minutes to change shape. The team discovered a second species of frog, Pristimantis sobetes, after their first discovery with the same capabilities as the rain frog.

Working with the Las Gralarias Foundation, the researchers now want to discover other species of frogs with such camouflage abilities. Their work would also help drive the message of forests conservation for man to better understand the natural world.

The discovery has been published in the Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society.