Hairy frog

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goal for the week 10.25 hrs

today

sanding

Animal

photos by Reuters and Gustavocarra

The Hairy frog (Trichobatrachus robustus) is a central African species that in an effort to defend itself will break its own toes so that the sharpened bone protrudes through the skin to act like claws. If you look carefully at the foot in the above picture you can see the little bone points. It is thought that the bone claws retract later passively as the tissue is regenerated. Yes, every Wolverine joke conceivable from this has already been made. The frog gets it's name from the hair like dermal papillae that breeding males develop during the breeding season. These hair-like growths are thought to act like external gills to help the male stay underwater with the eggs. They also have rather serious forearms for a frog, not sure why may be trying out for Marvel. The tadpoles are carnivorous and have several rows of teeth. 

Here is a better picture of a less taxidermied hairy frog where you can see the serious forearms.