The magnificent tree frog (Litoria splendida) is normally green, but this mutant is blue J Barker/AWC A rare blue frog found in the Kimberley region of Western Australia has stunned researchers, who say the unusual colouring is probably due to a genetic mutation causing it to lose certain skin pigments. As its name suggests, the magnificent tree frog ( ) is already a spectacular animal, so when at the Australian Wildlife Conservancy’s Charnley River-Artesian Range Wildlife Sanctuary saw a bright blue specimen on a bench in a workshop in April, he was shocked. Read more Advertisement The amphibians are normally a vibrant green, which is a common colour for tree frogs and is thought to camouflage them.
“I knew as soon as I saw it that it was rare,” says Barker. “It’s not often that you get to see a blue frog.” It has been seen a number of times since, but won’t be captured for research, he says.
“It’s far too pretty and far too unique and it would be a pity to take it away from its natural habitat,” says Barker. “We’ll leave it to live out its days and hopefully get to see it many more times in the future.” A monthly celebration of the biodiversity of our planet’s animals, plants and other organisms.
at the Australian Museum in Sydney says the animal may be the “most beautiful, aberrant-coloured frog” that she has ever seen. “And I have seen tens of thousands of frogs.” Read more From the photos she has seen, Rowley says the frog is at least .
