This little animal is absolutely ribbeting.
Biologists have discovered a new species of frogs in Brazil with an incredible ability to glow in the dark, and conservationists are now doing everything they can to preserve the unique rainforest amphibians.
The inch-long creature is a type of “pumpkin frog,” a group of animals aptly named for their bright orange body that makes them stand out against their green habitat, Smithsonian reported.
Scientist and herpetologist Ivan Nunes from Sao Paulo State University in Brazil estimated there may be over 36 different types of species within the pumpkin frog family.
Nunez and his colleagues were able to differentiate the new species through genetic sampling and classified the tiny animal “Brachycephalus rotenbergae.”
Rather than living at the water’s edge like most frogs, this new pumpkin frog is mostly active during the day on the forest floor.
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When flashed under a UV light, the frog will turn from orange to a neon green color. Scientists are still unsure of how this species has evolved.
“There’s an idea that fluorescence acts as signals for potential mates, to signal to rival males or some other biological role,” Nunes says, but more studies are needed to understand why.
The frog’s striking florescent body is due to poisonous toxins in their skin that serves as a defense mechanisms against predators.
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The Brazilian forest the frog calls home is within the São Francisco Xavier Government Protected Area, giving the species a good chance of avoiding extinction.
Nunez and his team hope to keep identifying different species within the family of pumpkin frogs to help gain a better understanding of the complex Brazilian rainforest.
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