Scientists make chance discovery of rare blue skin mutation in Kimberley magnificent tree frog
/ By Elaenor Nield and Stan ShawIn short:
Ecologists at a remote Western Australian wildlife sanctuary have been amazed to discover a blue tree frog.
It is the only known discovery of a magnificent tree frog with a blue skin pigment mutation.
What's next?
Australian Wildlife Conservancy scientists believe there may be more blue frogs in the Charnley River–Artesian Wildlife Sanctuary in WA's far north.
A frog hops into a workshop and sits on a bench — it sounds like the set-up of a joke, but it was actually the beginning of a rare scientific discovery.
In the far north of Western Australia, 2,500 kilometres north-east of Perth in the Charnley River–Artesian Range Wildlife Sanctuary, field ecologist Jake Barker couldn't believe what he was seeing when he received a photo from one of the sanctuary's land managers.
Mr Barker said two land managers were in the workshop when they turned towards a bench and saw a blue magnificent tree frog sitting there.
"Seeing the picture of the frog, it definitely elevated my heart rate and I was very excited and then getting down there to see it in person ... it was so cool, it was a really exciting and special thing," he said.
Mr Barker said the species was only found in the northern Kimberley and nearby Northern Territory.
"Frogs have blue and yellow pigments in their skin. That usually combines to form green, so most frogs are green," he said.
"And this is a rare mutation called axanthism, when the yellow pigments are inhibited and it just leaves the blue to come through.
"And for it to be pretty much the entire frog blue is really rare."
Tom Sayers, a fellow field ecologist from the Australian Wildlife Conservancy, recently visited the sanctuary to see the blue frog for himself.
While he said the mutation was rare, there could be more blue magnificent tree frogs hiding in the wild.
"There probably are more getting about, the fact that the Kimberley is such … an isolated and remote landscape," Mr Sayers said.
"Not too many people get eyes on them … the likelihood of seeing a blue magnificent tree frog is very rare."
Curator of Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Biology at the Australian Museum Jodi Rowley was similarly excited about the discovery.
"I've seen tens of thousands of frogs over the years, and I've only seen one [other] blue frog — and it was nowhere near as spectacular as this magnificent tree frog," Dr Rowley said.
"[It's] a rare encounter and one that highlights the spectacular diversity of Australia's frogs."
Mr Barker said magnificent tree frogs were larger than other tree frogs, growing up to 12 centimetres long.
According to the Australian Wildlife Conservancy, this is the only known discovery of a magnificent tree frog with a blue skin mutation.
Mr Barker said magnificent tree frogs were nocturnal species that preferred rocky environments.
"When we are out at night-time in the right habitat, we tend to see them, especially towards the end of the year when the wet season comes in," he said.
Mr Barker said there was still a lot scientists did not know about the Kimberley region and its animals.
"I think it's one of Australia's last frontiers for discovery," he said.