Hi ho! Kermit the Frog Found!
April 21, 2015
Last week, a wildlife researcher announced that he and his team had found a new frog. Brian Kubicki of the Costa Rican Amphibian Research Center (CRARC) identified a new glass frog, Hyalinobatrachium dianae, from the Caribbean foothills of Costa Rica. Glass frogs normally have bright lime-green coloration on their backs. They are named, however, for their bellies, which are covered in translucent (see-through) skin, allowing the frog’s internal organs to be viewed. Glass frogs are found only in certain regions of Central and South America. Their coloring makes them difficult to see, but the researchers were able to locate the new species by tracking their mating calls.
In certain other living things, scientists think that being transparent or translucent helps the animals to remain unseen and evade predators. Such an ability is known as crypsis. Some scientists believe that transparency among glass frogs is also an adaptation to avoid being seen. Other scientists believe transparency in glass frogs is less for hiding and more for body processes. In glass frogs, such critical organs as the liver are covered by a layer of light-reflecting pigment cells that protect from them damage from sunlight. Some scientists believe this could also aid the animal in maintaining homeostasis—that is, keeping a stable set of conditions inside the body. Such internal conditions could include body temperature and blood pressure.
The translucent underbelly of Hyalinobatrachium dianae (Credit: Brian Kubicki, Costa Rican Amphibian Research Center)
When Kubicki shared photos of the new frog, people felt as if it looked very familiar. In fact, the frog very much resembles Kermit from the Muppets. Muppets are a cross between marionettes and puppets created by Jim Henson. With its bulging eyes, long limbs, long toes, and bright green color, Hyalinobatrachium dianae looks the spitting image of Kermit, the banjo-playing frog and head of the misfit troupe of “dogs and bears and chickens and things.” All that is missing from the Costa Rican frog is the yellow-green ruff around its neck. And, a pig love interest who speaks French.
Hyalinobatrachium dinae. Or, is it? (Credit: Brian Kubicki, Costa Rican Amphibian Research Center)
Kermit the Frog, accompanied by his friend Miss Piggy. Researchers last week found a new species of frog that looks very much like the beloved green muppet. Muppets are a cross between marionettes and puppets created by puppeteer Jim Henson in 1954. © Jaguar PS/Shutterstock
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