Frogs aren’t everyone’s cup of tea. While some find them fascinating, some are actually downright grossed out. As appealing as some television shows, books, and even animated films make them out to be, frogs don’t exactly get the same attention as other amphibians like salamanders. I guess it’s easier to flee from something that slithers as opposed to an animal that may or may not jump where you’re walking, right?
But don’t be so quick to dismiss this interesting species. They can actually be pretty cool.
Frogs can live both in water and on land. Their biphasic lives and permeable skin make them good ecological indicators of the environment. That means by carefully observing frog populations, experts can get a pretty good indication of ecosystem health because frogs are quite sensitive to environmental change.
And to show you just how amazing frogs can be, here’s the black rain frog, a species that can only be found on the southern slopes of the Cape Fold Belt in South Africa.
With quite an interesting expression on its face, the black rain frog continues to mystify both experts and us curious folk with its characteristics, such as its unusual appearance and how it inhabits forest fringes and doesn’t need open water.
The Breviceps fuscus or the black rain frog is a species of frogs in the Brevicipitidae family.
You’ll immediately notice how this frog’s limbs are much shorter than usual. Now here’s another noticeable part of its physique that may sort of gross you out: its skin has widely spaced granules. No warts, just small tubercles.
They’re an interesting species, all right, but they don’t tolerate habitat disturbance. Typically, the black rain frog stays in quite a well protected habitat but factors like fires and afforestation pose threats to its home.
Its defense mechanism is to puff up and enlarge its body. But when left alone to go about its business, it goes back to demonstrating intriguing quirks, like how it refuses to let go of its partner during mating season.
The sound it makes, how it reacts when it feels threatened, and how it looks have prompted experts and animal enthusiasts to playfully nickname it “an angry avocado.”
Funny as it is to most people, the sound the black rain frog makes actually signifies distress.
While it may be cute and amusing for some, experts declare that it’s definitely no laughing matter should one encounter the rain frog and hear the same sound.
Apart from the sound it makes, the way the black rain frog puffs up when it senses danger has become a favorite topic among animal enthusiasts online. Its naturally grumpy expression has people both intrigued and amused, with some even quipping that no animal would instantly feel wary of it even when the frog goes in total defensive mode.
But don’t take these jokes to mean that people don’t care much for respecting the species and its habitat.
Because you don’t see a black, cross-looking frog everyday, you’ll definitely be compelled to do a bit more reading on this creature.
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