New Species of See-Through Frog May Give Kermit a Run for His Money!

KS Nature

You thought Kermit the Frog was the cutest? Look at this little guy’s eye-popping lime-green skin, bulging white eyes, and perfectly shaped black pupils. Kermit may be rich, and he clearly he has better luck with assertive pigs, but this newly discovered glass frog has put the internet into a tizzy with its cuteness.

Brian Kubicki, founder of the Costa Rican Amphibian Research Center, discovered the frog in Costa Rica. He decided to name the tiny amphibian after his mother.

The Diane’s Bare-hearted glass frog (Hyalinobatrachium dianae) has a translucent belly and a very distinctive call. It lets out a high pitched whistle like that of an insect, which may help it find a mate.

Frog, please!

Diane’s Bare-hearted glass frog rocks a see-through underbelly, leaving its organs completely visible! The reason for this lack of pigmentation remains a mystery to scientists.

Somehow this Kermit look-a-like managed for fly under the radar and evade researchers – which could be due to its whistle.

“The advertisement call that the males of this species produce are very unique, no other known species of frog has a similar call, and this was indeed one of the traits that we used for the justification of it being a completely new species,” and it “could have played a role in its going undetected prior,” said Kubicki.

This is the first glass frog discovered in Costa Rica since 1973.

PHOTOGRAPH BY BRIAN KUBICKI, COSTA RICAN AMPHIBIAN RESEARCH CENTER
PHOTOGRAPH BY BRIAN KUBICKI, COSTA RICAN AMPHIBIAN RESEARCH CENTER

Glass Frogs – According to National Geographic, ‘Glass frogs, found in Central and South America rain forests, live high in tree canopies near streams and creeks, descending when it’s time to breed. The glass frog’s name originates from its translucent, organ-revealing bellies. Their green coloration, on the other hand, helps the nocturnal frogs stay camouflaged on the undersides of leaves during the day.’

The Diane’s Bare-hearted glass frog is discussed in the February 19 journal Zootaxa.

New Species of See-Through Frog May Give Kermit a Run for His Money!