Friday, September 25, 2009

[IN THE NEWS] Fanged Frogs

Not too long ago, I wrote an article on a new AtB creature I called the Viper Frog. Well, as it would turn out, scientists have discover fanged frogs in Thailand:

Fanged Frog and Other Bizarre Species Discovered [livescience.com]

A bird-eating frog with fangs, an alien gecko equipped with orange eyes and technicolor skin, and a flightless bird are among the 163 newly identified species discovered in Southeast Asia last year...

Bird-eating fanged frog (Limnonectes megastomias): An opportunistic eater, this frog lies in wait for its prey in streams in Thailand. Males of the species use their fangs for male-to-male combat, as scientists have seen frogs with missing limbs and multiple scars.
And this wasn't the first fanged frog found recently. Another species was found in New Guinea:

Lost world of fanged frogs and giant rats discovered in Papua New Guinea [guardian.co.uk]
A lost world populated by fanged frogs, grunting fish and tiny bear-like creatures has been discovered in a remote volcanic crater on the Pacific island of Papua New Guinea.
So, it is possible that the Viper Frog could have evolved in nature. Funny how science fiction always seems to be one step ahead.

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