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A small green Fleischmann’s glassfrog on a reddish leaf, with translucent limbs and dark eyes.
Look closely. Let the image settle.
Animal camouflage / Natural adaptation

Glassfrog — Letting the Background Through

Translucent tissues reduce the visual barrier between a small frog and its surroundings.

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Compare the translucent limbs with the more strongly coloured body and eyes. Follow the research link for photographs comparing sleeping and active frogs.

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History, evidence & image credit

THE IMAGE IN THIS ARCHIVE

Mauricio Rivera Correa

Original file & attribution · CC BY-SA 2.5

Original image downloaded from Wikimedia Commons; the downloaded file is unchanged. Gallery previews may be resized or converted to WebP; animated previews show the first frame.

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Frequently asked questions

What is Glassfrog — Letting the Background Through?

Translucent tissues reduce the visual barrier between a small frog and its surroundings.

What should I look for in Glassfrog — Letting the Background Through?

Compare the translucent limbs with the more strongly coloured body and eyes. Follow the research link for photographs comparing sleeping and active frogs.

What explains Glassfrog — Letting the Background Through?

Blood absorbs light and can make otherwise transparent tissue visible. Moving red blood cells out of circulation reduces that obstacle while the frog rests. The animal is not entirely invisible: eyes, bones and organs remain visible, and its appearance changes with activity and lighting.

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A small green Fleischmann’s glassfrog on a reddish leaf, with translucent limbs and dark eyes.

Glassfrog — Letting the Background Through