Scientists have discovered how glassfrogs - known for their highly transparent undersides and muscles - perform their “disappearing acts”.
Glassfrogs, which live in the American tropics, are nocturnal amphibians that spend their days sleeping upside down on translucent leaves that match the color of their backs - a common camouflage tactic. Their tummies, however, show something surprising: translucent skin and muscle that allows their bones and organs to be visible, giving the glassfrog its name.
Unlike other animals that use transparency as camouflage, glassfrogs essentially hide their red blood cells from view by pausing their respiratory system during the day.
Resting glassfrogs increase transparency two-to threefold by removing nearly 90 percent of their red blood cells from circulation and packing them within their liver, which contains reflective guanine crystals - hiding the blood cells from view.
Whenever the frogs need to become active again, they bring the red blood cells back into the blood - and can move around again!
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