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  • RESEARCH HIGHLIGHT

Hardy Brazilian frogs dig deep to escape drought

Amphibians can burrow to depths of more than 1.5 metres in the damp sand underlying dry waterways.
Aestivating frog partially buried in the sand of a river bed

The Muller’s smooth horned frog (Proceratophrys cristiceps) is one of several species that buries itself in the sandy beds of Brazil’s parched rivers to avoid hot, dry conditions. Credit: Carlos Jared

In desert regions of Brazil, frogs must cope with prolonged periods of dry, hot weather, when many rivers dry up completely. Carlos Jared at the Butantan Institute in São Paulo and his colleagues wondered where the amphibians, which have thin skins prone to drying out, go during these droughts.

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Nature 568, 9 (2019)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-019-00975-4

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