14 DAY TRIAL // Some seriously bizarre frogs populating forests in Ecuador have the uncanny ability to change the texture of their skin and go from being spiky to being perfectly smooth in just a few minutes.
The newly discovered species, now known to the scientific community as Pristimantis mutabilis, was initially documented by a PhD student and her husband.
For a long time, it was believed that Pristimantis mutabilis specimens were the only amphibians in the world able to alter their appearance to such an extent, Phys Org explains.
However, when returning to Ecuador's Reserva Las Gralarias to further study the species, wildlife researchers documented the same ability in one other species already known to science, i.e. Prismantis sobetes.
It is believed that the frogs change the texture of their skin to make themselves look like the rocks, the logs or the grass in their natural habitat. This helps them keep safe from birds and other predators.
“The spines and coloration help them blend into mossy habitats, making it hard for us to see them,” researcher Katherine Tim Krynak said in a statement.
By the looks of it, the frogs need about 3 minutes or so to go from being covered in spikes to being perfectly smooth. Check out the series of images below to see how such transformations play out.
