Uploaded July 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 days ago
A well-known frog in Australia has revealed a secret superpower: beneath its pea-green body it’s been hiding a pair of sparkly hotpants. Not a fashion accessory, but a rare example of iridescence in an amphibian that’s changed our understanding of the complexity of frog skin.
The green and golden bell frog is native to eastern Australia where it hops across the ground feasting on insects. As one of the country’s largest frogs it has quite the appetite, making it a good meal for many wading birds and predatory reptiles.
As a dazzling form of defence, it’s evolved an area of iridescence between its thighs. It’s hidden most of the time, but when the frog jumps it creates a kind of “flash coloration” that can startle predators long enough for the frog to get away.
As a rare example of true iridescence in an amphibian, it’s a fashion-forward means of defence that demonstrates the composition of frog skin is far more organized than previously thought.
Read more: iflscience.com/rare-iridescence-discovered-in-a-frog-its-shiny-blue-hot-pants-may-dazzle-predators-as-a-form-of-defense-84095
Video courtesy of John Gould
A well-known frog in Australia has revealed a secret superpower: beneath its pea-green body it’s been hiding a pair of sparkly hotpants. Not a fashion accessory, but a rare example of iridescence in an amphibian that’s changed our understanding of the complexity of frog skin.
The green and golden bell frog is native to eastern Australia where it hops across the ground feasting on insects. As one of the country’s largest frogs it has quite the appetite, making it a good meal for many wading birds and predatory reptiles.
As a dazzling form of defence, it’s evolved an area of iridescence between its thighs. It’s hidden most of the time, but when the frog jumps it creates a kind of “flash coloration” that can startle predators long enough for the frog to get away.
As a rare example of true iridescence in an amphibian, it’s a fashion-forward means of defence that demonstrates the composition of frog skin is far more organized than previously thought.
Read more: iflscience.com/rare-iridescence-discovered-in-a-frog-its-shiny-blue-hot-pants-may-dazzle-predators-as-a-form-of-defense-84095
Video courtesy of John Gould
