Disaproving Frog

Occasionally, I will tip my hat to our amphibious friends, especially when I find one as strange as this. To me, the Amazon Horned Frog looks like it's always in disgust because someone put some bad sugar in its tea. Surprisingly, the oddity about this frog is not its key physical features, but its monstrous size. These frogs can weigh up to a pound in size and are generally the size of your typical coffee cup (8 inches in length). These carnivorous giants (in frog terms) earn their atypical size from their diet. They are not very picky, and that works to their benefit. They simply use their natural green-brown skin to blend into the amazonian leaf filter and lay in wait until anything smaller than them goes by. They really will eat anything. Though they have sharp teeth, they swallow all their prey whole. Their voracious appetite can be the death of them; bodies have been found choking on an impossibly large meal. They have earned the nickname of "Pac-Man Frog" due to this appetite as well as their large mouths.

Links: http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/amphibians/amazon-horned-frog/
http://animallist.weebly.com/amazon-horned-frog.html

How Woody Survives The Winter

There are many oddities in this world: mammals that lay eggs, genetic mutations, but our main focus today is that of the cryoprotected frog. Most reptiles and amphibians must find certain ways to survive the cold winters, burrowing into the ground to keep warm, but these strange arctic wood frogs are the outliers. Certain frogs like Rana Sylvatica can freeze two thirds of their body completely to last the winter, and go for many weeks doing so. During this time, their brains can stop as well as their hearts. These little wood frogs can freeze at 3.2 degrees Fahrenheit and still manage to be revived when they thaw. It is believed that they can even go past this point, depending on the particular frog's endurance.

How are they able to do this and not die? It is noted that they have certain cryoprotectants, large amounts of glucose and urea, which protect their cells during 'hibernation'. Most animal's cells, when faced with extreme cold, will shrink to a point that they loose all nutrients and die. However, these cryoprotectants resist shrinkage, keeping the frog alive.
Wood frogs are generally small, reaching about 2 inches. They have the same coloring as the wood they are named after -generally varying in shades of brown. Rana Sylvatica can be distinguished by their dark eye mask as well as a white stripe just above the lip. They lack webbing on their back feet, contradictory to most frogs, but that makes them ideal for tree climbing. They are insectivores and herbivores, surviving on invertebrates and pond algae.

Baby wood frog

These frogs are currently studied for medical purposes. Doctors hope to find a way to cryogenically freeze humans (probably to save Walt Disney).

Links: http://voices.nationalgeographic.com/2013/08/21/how-the-alaska-wood-frog-survives-being-frozen/ 

Why Not Combine Two Fears?

Spider-like tail

On the top ten list of phobias, spiders are at the very top; another contender: snakes. I, personally do not fear these things (more intrigued than anything). However, I know many people who do. Even I cringed at the sight of this blog's topic: the spider-tailed viper. Apparently mother nature just said, "why not combine evil with nightmares"?
There are not very many articles on these snakes -must be people are too disturbed to study them. Only a few specimens have been found, though they are not on the endangered list. They can be found in the mountains of Iran where they hide in the cracks and crevices of the rocky terrain.
All that is really known is that they exist. There is no data on population, what they eat, or how they go about their lives. I can only assume that they use their terrifying tail to attract insectivores which they then eat. I'm sorry I don't know a ton, but I had to write about them.

Links: http://www.hypnotherapykettering.co.uk/page/10mostcommonphobias.htm
http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/164664/0
https://biologicalmarginalia.wordpress.com/tag/spider-tailed-horned-viper/

What's The Mata-Mata With You?

Deadly and cute

Looking at this animal is sure to arouse questions. It looks like something out of Jurassic Park, but this turtle is all too real. Living in a place like the Amazon, sharing rivers with Piranha and River Dolphins, you would have to have some fantastic mutation to survive. These turtles have earned many names due to their appearance including, but not limited to: Leafhead and Needlenose. It is no question how this turtle received its name. However, its strangest and most commonly known name is Mata-Mata (kill kill in spanish). To understand how this name came about, you have to get uncomfortably close.

If you look past the exterior, you may notice that the Mata Mata has a horribly bad bite to match the bark. This turtle has two sets of sharp, fused teeth. Not to mention their sharp claws, common to turtles. And that shell? Forget about it. They can even reach up to two feet in length. Regardless of these offensive features, the Mata Mata is a defensive player. Most days, it spends its days burrowed in river sediment. Its leaf-like head and coloring makes for good camouflage. Then it lies in wait, hoping for a fish to swim by before it sucks it up. Only a few times will it raise its snout to the surface and take in a breath of air. 

Scientific Name: C. Fimbiatus

Baby Mata Mata

Fun fact: Mata Matas are the only turtle belonging to this group

Links:http://mentalfloss.com/article/57564/9-facts-about-mata-mata-weirdest-turtle-ever