THE SEE-THROUGH ZOO

WELCOME TO NATURE’S MENAGERIE OF TRANSPARENCY

THAT TAKES GUTS

GLASS FROG

Tropical forests are teeming with predators for whom frogs are top of the menu, so these amphibians have understandably evolved some nifty defences. Glass frogs, which inhabit the humid cloud forests of South and Central America, rely on a novel form of camouflage: they bare all, or almost all. As this studio photo of Hyalinobatrachium aureoguttatum shows, their see-through skin offers up an eyeful of beating heart, blood vessels, bones and digestive tract.

But why display your innards? After all, predators can still see you. A recent study revealed the secret to their curious camouflage, and it lies not so much in their body, but their legs. As the most translucent part of the animals, their legs match the brightness of the background foliage. By blending in, the disappearing phantom limbs help to hide the true outline of these freakish frogs.