Active Self Defense

The New Guinea Bush Frog (Asterophrys turpicola) is a frog after my own heart. Native to Papua New Guinea and Indonesia, this frog isn't a pushover.

If it's threatened, it will inflate itself and gape its mouth--all the better to expose its blue tongue. If that doesn't drive off the predator, then the frog attacks. It'll leap at its foe and latch on with its mouth, often not letting go for several minutes.

My eleven-month-old son has similar defensive abilities, though he adds a screech and the occasional spray of spit-up to his arsenal. His sisters have learned to catch him unawares by approaching from behind, downwind, while one of them distracts him by waving one of his favorite toys at him. Then they pounce and get in a quick hug and snuggle, before he resorts to pulling hair and going after their fingers with his new-found teeth.

Photo source: vespadelus

No Turtle Frog Tadpoles

I can't seem to find much out about the turtle frog (Myobatrachus gouldii) of South Western Australia. It seems as though it feeds on termites and lives in open woodlands and scrub plains.



















From what I can tell, it bypasses the whole tadpole phase of life. But why in the world give up being a tadpole? That's one of any frog's claims to fame! Why give up one's carefree youth? Although, you would get to skip that embarrassing time of life when you're metamorphosing, and you've got under-developed legs and shrinking gills, and you're reabsorbing your tail, and you're just learning how to croak, but your voice cracks, and you can't eat enough frozen pizzas and chimichangas, and your face is breaking out with acne...

Big-mouthed & Fang-mouthed

I just want to take a moment to introduce the Khorat big-mouthed frog to the Ugly Overload community. This frog is among 163 new species discovered in the Greater Mekong region of Thailand.

How does it feel, you fang-mouthed frog, to know that you have a ready-made blog family awaiting you with open arms the very moment that you're discovered by us humans? That's got to give you a nice warm and fuzzy feeling.

Photo source: AP Photo/David S. McLeod, WWF Greater Mekong via Yahoo!

Newt Ribs

I know, these newts looks like your run-of-the-mill newt. Nothing extraordinary to look at, though they might be fun to keep in a terrarium.

Photo source: Peter Halasz via Budapest Zoo



















What you don't know is that the Spanish ribbed newt, Pleurodeles waltl, has a rare talent: it can thrust the pointed ends of its rib cage through its sides to produce defensive spurs.

Photo source: BBC via PopularScience.com

When it comes to dealing with self defense mechanisms, I've become pretty adept, at least when it comes to countering my son's ploys to avoid a diaper change. He tries the time-honored tricks of flailing, rolling, flopping, and making himself dead weight by going limp. I've learned a blend of distraction, cajoling, good humor, and a patented leg lock (to be used on the floor only) to get said diaper changed. If, however, I ran the risk of my boy intentionally thrusting his ribs through his flanks to pierce my hands with their pointy ends, diaper changing would be an entirely different ordeal. That's escalation on a level with which I am not prepared to contend.

Thanks for the newt, Ida.

Frog and Spider Harmony

See that frog down there? Does he look terribly distressed? Not so much. He's got more of a hunker-down, lie-low expression going on. That's because this spider, a burrowing theraphosid tarantula Xenesthis immanis, has seized the frog, examined it with its mouthparts, and will most likely let go and move on, leaving the frog none the worse for wear (well, unless you consider the involuntary evacuation of your frog bladder as being the worse for wear). And this frog has quite possibly experienced this before.

Photo source: TetrapodZoology

















Microhylids - or narrow-mouthed frogs - are the object of scrutiny and research among scientists and herpetalogists. It seems that there is something of a symbiotic relationship brewing between these tiny frogs and these large spiders (who have come to understand that these frogs aren't to be touched, being toxic and all). The frog benefits from close proximity to the spiders by having the big bruisers as protectors, and by being able to feed on the small invertebrates who show up to dine on the spider's prey carcasses. The spider in turn benefits by having a local pest control service that takes care of any ants that might be on the prowl for spider eggs.

I love symbiosis like this, even when spiders are part of the mix.

Thanks for the article, Morgan.

A Toast to Fruitful Rainy Season

My wife once did a research paper in college in which she discovered that arranged marriages report much higher marital satisfaction than is found in a typical 'love marriage.'

I hope this trend holds true for these two newlyweds. Raja (left) and Rana (right) were joined in matrimony, complete with full Hindu ritual, in the state of Mumbai, for the purposes of appeasing the rain god. I also hope that the rain god will be pleased and that a fruitful rainy season will follow.

Photo source AFP via Yahoo!

Hazard a Guess

One thing this blog has taught me is that I invite the wrath of experts if I hazard a guess on what I think a creature might be and end up being wrong. So I'm not going to even bother with this one. I won't guess what it is. All I can be reasonably sure of is that it's a frog, it looks to be green, and it might almost sort of appear be comfortable in trees. And it looks smug. Beyond that, I won't dare to step on the toes of any of you herpetologists. You folks have access to very venomous creatures, and I don't want to open up a FedEx parcel and find it filled with angry Australian taipans.

UPDATE: TercerAnon (anon3) has identified this as a Phyllomedusa bicolor, a green leaf frog. That ID looks good to me. And if it is, then I have a new word for you: biopiracy. These frogs produce a waxy secretion that has a variety of powerful medicinal applications, and are therefore the object of piracy of a bio variety. Thanks anon3.

Here's to Axolotl Owners

You've met axolotls on Ugly Overload before. But you've never met DooDad and Narkezy. They are denizen's of Cynthia's aquarium and are beloved for their blue eyes and pouty lips.

Axolotls make for interesting case studies, and scientists can't get enough of them. For one, they never metamorphose into an adult phase, and therefore remain completely aquatic and begilled. For another, they are easy to breed and have large embryos. And last but definitely not least: they can generate most of their body parts--a skill I've been trying to master with mixed results.

Wild axolotls are close to extinction, since their native home in the lake underlying Mexico City is severely polluted. And what axolotls aren't killed by the pollution are beset by the introduction of African tilapia and Asian carp into their waters. It's quite possible that axolotls will persist only as a as a captive bred aquarium species. So here's to Cynthia and all axolotl owners the world over. The species is depending on you.

UPDATE: David Steen reminds me not to write off the dedicated professionals who are working to preserve them in their natural habitat. Here's to them as well.

Harried & Hunted

Feeling frazzled today. My computer at work has been down for several days. IT just got it set back up (we had lots o' crashes all at once), and my boss chose this afternoon to drop by my office, just as I was leaving, to see how a couple of my projects were coming along.

I'm feeling harried, hunted. Exposed. Kinda like these wee beasties. Let's offer our sympathies to a beleaguered tarsier, a compromised cane toad, and a cornered wolf spider. We all have days like this.

Devoted Mother

It's not a worm, and it's not a snake. It's not even a legless lizard.

















I'ts a caecilian, and it's an amphibian.






















These creatures are rare among amphibians in that some species of caecilians fertilize their eggs inside their bodies and give birth to fully developed live young (the others do it the time honored amphibian way of laying eggs which hatch into larval young with gills that need to metamorphose later).

Their devoted parenting doesn't end there. Mommy grows an extra thick, slimy, and regenerating layer of skin for the caecilianlings to dine upon until they can fend for themselves. Now, that is motivation for the mother to cut the apron strings as soon as possible.



















Thanks for the caecilian, Jelo.

Columbian Discoveries

A recent foray into the hinterlands of Columbia has turned up oodles of new critters. About 60 species of amphibians, 20 reptiles, and almost 120 birds were recorded, many of which are brand new species. And guess what, no where is there any mention of a new spider species. That might be a first.

Amphibians are considered to be leading indicators for environmental problems, and the fact that so many were found is a good sign, says Conservation International, who spearheaded the project. Columbia is considered to be one of the most biologically diverse countries in the world for amphibians, with 754 species recorded. It's a veritable Noah's Ark (if a moist, slimy, and slippery one).

So, enjoy this salamander (Bolitogloss taylori) and glass frog (Nymphargus sp.). It's nice to bring some good news.

Thanks for the article, Betsy.

Photo source: Telegraph.co.uk

Horror Frog

I've posted on the horror frog, Trichobatrachus robustus, before, but Rachel pointed me towards a fairly in depth article about them. And a new photo. So much to share.

In their native Cameroon, people who eat the horror frog have to hunt them with spears and machetes, as opposed to the usual nets, because these frogs can defend themselves. They do so with the Wolverine-style mechanism seen below.

Photo source: NewScientist.com














When provoked, these frogs flex muscles in their toes that cause a bony spur in the tips of their digits to break away from the collagen that bonds them to a bony chip in the tip of the toe. The spur then pierces the flesh of the toe pad, resulting in instant claws.

These insta-claws are unique in the animal world to the Astylosternus genus of frogs. Unlike other claws, these spurs are pure bone, without the keratin sheath you've seen on cat and dog claws (and every other vertebrate claw). And those claws can do damage (hence the spears and machetes). The Harvard University researchers who brought the findings to light have only ever worked with dead specimens, so they don't know how the claws are retracted. Most likely, given the absence of a retractor muscle, the claws retract passively once the toes relax. And, given that they are amphibians, most likely the torn flesh and ruptured collagen regenerates, at least to some extent.

















"Hey, horror frog, does that hurt?"
"Every time."

Here's what an adult looks like. As if the claws weren't enough, it's also hairy. A hairy frog. It looks like it has just donned a grass hula skirt and is off to terrorize a luau. But, of course, those aren't real hairs. They are hair-like strands of skin that males grow when tending to their brood. The researchers' best guess is that the extra surface area of the strands allow the male frog to take in more oxygen while being a daddy. Fine. All right, frog. You've redeemed yourself...a bit. I'll forgive you the skirt.




















Thanks for the horror frog, Rachel.

It's Monsoon Time

For most creatures, people included, monsoon season is a time to head for high ground or at least for shelter. Not so for the purple frog. Monsoons equal mating time for the purple frog.

Native to India, the purple frog (Nasikabatrachus sahyadrensis) is a relatively recent discovery. They spend nearly their time entire underground, where they eat and sleep and play chess. But come the monsoons, with their temporary rain pools, these anurans mate by amplexus (frog hugs) while floating on the water's surface (romance!). The sight of storm ravaged soil must be to this frog what soft candle light and turned-down silk sheets are to most of you.

Thanks for the article, Leigh.

Photo source: BBC

Eating in the Holiday Season

It seems like every time I walk by the office break room there's another plate full of Christmas goodies and generic sweets from our vendors. Fruit breads, pistachios, doughnuts, cupcakes, fudge, assorted chocolates, cookies, pie, etc. Almost every house I walk into has Christmas bowls out full of Christmas M&Ms, Snickers, et al, and platters of homemade peanut butter blossoms, chocolate chip cookies, haystacks, and much, much more.

As you wend your way through this holiday season, try to keep the following in mind:

At least try to appear to eat in moderation, and never put more in your mouth than you can chew

Just because it's there doesn't mean you have to eat it, because it might just bite you back

Okay, okay, this next one is just wishful thinking...

And always remember: you are what you eat.

Of Amplexus and Fiber Optics

Looking for an easy to keep and breed frog, one that will dazzle you with its amazing coloring and yet not keep you up at night with a loud call? Well, you need look no further than the Vietnamese Mossy Frog (Theloderma corticale). (I should be being paid for this post. Is there some sort of Vietnamese mossy frog association that wants to sponsor it?)

Anyways...

Ready for today's Word of the Day? Amplexus. That's Latin for 'embrace.' Among anurans (frogs, that is), amplexus refers to pseudocopulation, the process by which a male frog grips the female frog with his forelegs (typically) during the mating process. I only bring this up because amplexus is often an aquatic affair. But among Thelodermans (of which our mossy frog is a member), this often happens in the trees. I imagine arboreal pseudocopulation requires a bit more grip strength.

Speaking of which, don't those fingers and toes look like fiber optic bundles, ones that should glow and pulsate with soft LED lighting? Wow, I've spent way too much time around my daughters' faerie princess wands.

Thanks for the photo, Erik.

Photo source: The Kapok Tree

Human Fish

Can a cave-dwelling amphibian be anything other than a resident of Ugly Overload? I challenge you to find one that doesn't belong here (that's a largely rhetorical challenge).

I'm proud to introduce the Olm (Proteus anguinus). If Falkor the Luck Dragon were an amphibian, he'd be one of these. They are Europe's only cave-adapted vertebrate, a coveted title. They are sightless and live their entire existence under water and in the dark. Their senses of smell, taste, hearing, and electrosensitivity make them remarkable hunters.

But the remarking doesn't end there.

They are long-lived (more than 58 years) and can go 10 years without a meal. And last but not least, they are nicknamed the 'human fish' because their skin is reminiscent of human skin. Lovely. I guess that's better than having it the other way around: humans' skin texture causing us to be nick-named the 'salamander monkey'.

Photo source: 1, 2, 3 via WebEcoist.com

Pedal Luring

A recent study has revealed that at least eight families of toads engage in an amphibian variant of the 'come hither' motion. But instead of the seductive curled finger, these toads waggle or thump their toes in a bid for a meal. This is called pedal luring, a technique I hope to master.

Case in point: the cane toad (yet again). Researchers found that when young cane toads stumbled across an adult cane toad, the adult would waggle its large toes on its hind feet. The young toad(s) would approach to investigate, and would then be gobbled up by its cannibalistic elder. Pedal luring at its purest. One study of a captive colony of cane toads showed that a full 64% of the meals had by adult toads consisted of their younger counterparts. I guess cane toads aren't toxic to one another.




















These fowler's toads (below) are not to be outdone. They actually thump their toes when they suspect insects and other invertebrates are near. Though nothing is conclusive, it appears that the rhythmic thumping causes the inverts to wriggle and scatter, allowing the toad to better snatch them up.

I'm going to go home and see if drumming my fingers on the dinner table causes the dinner to arrive earlier. I'll let you know how my wife responds to that.




















Thanks for the article, Judy.

Hermione the Cane Toad

Say hello to Hermione, Kelly's pet cane toad. I didn't know cane toads were kept as pets, given their toxic nature. But now that I think of it, why not. Everything else poisonous or venomous, from giant centipedes to cobras, make for pets, so why not cane toads. Just please, please, Kelly. Don't release Hermione into the waterways of Northern California. We're having enough trouble getting rid of pike. The last thing we need is an Australian South American import.

Thanks for the cane toad, Kelly. I'm sure she's nice and happy (despite that sour glare).

UPDATE: Kelly informs me that Hermione once had a male companion. One guess as to what his name might have been. Might have been, because Ron is with us no more. Perhaps it is Hermione's loneliness that makes her a bit curmudgeonly...or Umbridgey.

Orderism

Maybe I'm an orderist (new word alert), but I don't like seeing 'lower' order animals dining on 'higher' order ones.

Like in this case of a frog being eaten by a giant water bug. Arthropods shouldn't be permitted to eat vertebrates. That's just wrong.

I've been bitten by a giant water bug, and it hurts. Real bad. And they don't let go. You have to flail about, cry for mommy, and then scrape them off. Though frogs can flail about, calling for mommy does them no good, and it's hard to scrape off something that out-sizes you by several classes.

As a human, I like to think of myself as at the top of the food chain, and immune to the predations of lesser beasts. Only aliens and Superman should be able to eat me. I hope never to be disabused of that notion.

Thanks for the photo, Michael. I suggest all of you check out his other work. He's a master at photographing herps.

Equity in the Wild Kingdom

Every so often, mother nature allows for a bit of fair play and turn about.

Here's a photo of a fringe-lipped bat (Trachops cirrhosus) dining on a tungara frog in Panama (not an uncommon occurrence). The bat looks overwhelmed by the meal awaiting it. The frog looks put out.

Photo source: National Geographic


















Not to be out done, the amphibians even the score. Large green tree frogs (Litoria cerulea) like to lurk outside the lairs of little bent-wing bats (Miniopterus australis) and nab one for dinner.

Photo credit: D. Bruce Means










Though I would never suggest that there is a natural law of parity or equity in the wild kingdom, I think my kids can learn a good lesson from this, perhaps in a Brothers Grimm-style dark fable. A children's book about bats eating frogs and frogs eating bats is in order. I'm sure they'll be charmed.