Scientists in Western Australia have found a tree frog that is bright blue, instead of the usual green, due to a rare genetic mutation.
The magnificent blue tree frog was spotted at the Charnley River-Artesian Range Wildlife Sanctuary in the Kimberley region, according to a statement from the Australian Wildlife Conservancy (AWC) this week.
This is the first time a blue color mutation has been recorded in the magnificent tree frog, according to the AWC.
“It was after dark when we first spotted her, perched on a bench in the workshop near our research center,” said AWC field ecologist Jake Barker in the Monday statement.
“It was very exciting. Magnificent tree frogs are already spectacular, but seeing a blue one is a once-in-a-lifetime chance.”
This type of mutation is extremely rare, according to Jodi Rowley, Curator of Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Biology at the Australian Museum.
“Very occasionally, a green frog has no yellow pigment in its skin, and this results in a frog that is entirely or mostly blue,” she said in the statement.
“I’ve seen tens of thousands of frogs over the years, and I’ve only seen one blue frog—and it wasn’t nearly as spectacular as this magnificent tree frog. A rare encounter that highlights the spectacular diversity of Australia’s frogs.”
The magnificent tree frog, or Litoria splendida, is found only in the northern Kimberley and nearby parts of Australia’s Northern Territory. It grows to about 12 centimeters, making it one of the largest amphibian species in the country.
“This is one of several Northwest endemic species that we regularly encounter here,” Barker said in the statement.
“They are not found anywhere else. That’s the great thing about working in the Kimberley – you never know what rare wildlife you’ll see each day.”
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