Wednesday 20 February 2013

Namaqua Rain Frog

Image: Dean Boshoff
Breviceps namaquensis
It's the Namaqua Rain Frog. Gaze upon his mighty girth and weep, puny human.

These South African frogs are burrowers, spending most of their time under dry, sandy ground and only visiting the surface once the area has been lavishly prepared with sumptuous rains.

Image: Dean Boshoff
HMPH
They're less than 5 cm (2 in) long and can usually be politely described as "plump"...

Image: Dean Boshoff
RAAAAAARRR!
But when threatened, they inflate themselves to their full girth. Now they're about as wide as they are long!

And then that tiny mouth opens and a blood-curdling shriek arises from dark belly-depths unknown...


And the Beast did squeak.

9 comments:

TexWisGirl said...

that just absolutely made my day!!! too dang cute!

Joseph JG said...

It's scarcely believable!

??? said...

I came across this video on Tumblr a couple of days ago and I think I've watched it about twenty times already. Frogs are brilliant animals.

Crunchy said...

It's like a land pufferfish!

Joseph JG said...

@Jedediah: Haha! You CAN'T watch it just once!

@Crunchy: If we knew more about Rain Frogs in the old days, perhaps pufferfish would be called Sea Rain Frogs?

jesse said...

that is the cutest thing i have ever seen! i want about six of them!

Joseph JG said...

You could have an incredibly high pitched barbershop sextet!

Unknown said...

So... That would mean the frogs would be performing in a barbershop?

Joseph JG said...

Oh wow, a barbershop quartet of them would be ear splitting!