Frog of the Week #3: Purple Fluorescent Frog

These frogs probably like hardcore techno.

This recently discovered frog looks more like a splatter painting than a real animal. But it is real! Part of a genus of true toads known as “harlequin toads,” this little neon guy was discovered on the Nassau Plateau in Suriname in 2006.

purple-harlequin-toad-8

Scientific name: Atelopus hoogmoedi nassaui

Habitat: Suriname, South America

Size: small (let me know if you find a number– I couldn’t!)

Conservation status: could be threatened by illegal gold mining

533478323_35183b8742_o

Because this frog is comparatively recently discovered, there is not really a consensus as to what to call it. Other names include the Purple Harlequin Frog, the Fluorescent Purple Harlequin Frog, etc.

Requests? Questions? Leave a comment and let me know!

The pictures above are from naturely.org (both the header and the double-panel pics) and scienceblogs.com through flickr.

 

Author: Swim Claude

Frogs are pretty great.

7 thoughts on “Frog of the Week #3: Purple Fluorescent Frog”

  3. Hi Swim – could you please send me contact details of naturely.org – their website doesn’t have an email or number. We’d like to feature this purple frog in our science educational classroom magazine next month and wish to seek permission for reproduction. Would be very very grateful for an urgent response! Thanks so much!

    Like

    Reply

    1. I’m so sorry, I haven’t been able to check this website in a while– I don’t have the contact details for naturely.org or any affiliation with them, so unfortunately I couldn’t have been of much help anyway…
      I hope you were able to feature the frog anyways.

      Like

      Reply
  4. Pingback: SquaMates Ep. 2: Attack of the Genomes – SquaMates

Leave a comment