Why Glass Frogs have see through skin

Tobago Glass Frog (Hyalinobatrachium orientale tobagoense) seen from below - translucent. Photo by Renoir Auguste

Animals with transparent skin in nature are rare, and our understanding of the function of it is even rarer. One example of an animal with apparent transparent skin is the glass frog. They are found across Central and South America, as well as on the island of Tobago, north east of Venezuela. These frogs, as their name suggests, have skin where the organs, bones, and even eggs (in females) can be seen through their skin. However, only from their underside, and not their back (as seen in both photos in this post). Because of this, glass frogs are better defined as being translucent due to the dorsal pigmentation.

Scientists investigated whether the imperfect transparency (only the belly and not the back) acts as camouflage, and how effective it is. They found that the perceived luminance of the glass frogs changed depending on the background, which lowered detectability by predators, and increased survival, when compared to opaque (not able to see through) frogs. It also appears that the change was greatest for the legs, which surround the body at rest which hid the frogs even more, referred to as edge diffusion. No doubt this is probably why glass frogs are so difficult to find during the day when they are sleeping!

The Tobago Glass Frog shares these similar translucent features of other glass frogs across the region. To learn more about the local glass frogs in Tobago, including where to find them, check out the Field guide to the amphibians and reptiles of Trinidad and Tobago, available by the Trinidad and Tobago Field Naturalists' Club.

Tobago Glass Frog seen from above - not translucent. Photo by Renoir Auguste

Reference: Barnett et al. 2020. Imperfect transparency and camouflage in glass frogs. PNAS.