After online research, Erica Fast found that the chance of finding one is approximately one in a million. \u00a0<\/p>\n
While the number is difficult to determine definitively, all sources agree that what Fast found hopping across her backyard recently as she was mowing the lawn is a highly uncommon sight: a leopard frog with a unique blue hue.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Dr. Randy Mooi, the curator of zoology at the Manitoba Museum, said that leopard frogs, one of the more common\u00a0species of frog in the province, normally appear in two \u201cmorphs\u201d (a species\u2019 distinctive form possibilities that include colour pattern)\u00a0\u2014 golden brown, or\u00a0bright green. \u00a0<\/p>\n
So how\u00a0did Fast\u2019s lawn visitor end up blue?\u00a0<\/p>\n
A natural wonder\u00a0<\/p>\n
According to Dr. Mooi, whose\u00a0work concerning amphibians includes surveying endangered species in the province,\u00a0the leopard frog\u2019s rare appearance can be attributed to a \u201cvery rare mutation.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThey’re not able to create yellow pigment,\u201d he said. \u201cSo, just like if you’re painting a picture, amphibians will often mix blue and yellow pigment together to make green. When they’re not able to make the yellow pigment, they will be\u00a0blue.\u201d<\/p>\n
A closer look at the blue morph leopard frog found by Erica Fast. Submitted photo.<\/p>\n
Dr. Mooi added that when amphibians lack this yellow pigment, the results can vary \u2014 the animals can take on various shades of blue or even present with dappled permutations of blue and green. \u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt looks to me like there are different degrees of yellow productions,\u201d said Dr. Mooi. \u201cThere may be some cells that are affected and some that are not, so that might explain how you’re getting these different hues.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
An elusive phenomenon \u00a0<\/p>\n
Dr. Mooi said that while a blue leopard frog is certainly a rare sighting, to his knowledge, no large surveys have been done on its prevalence in the area.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He noted, however, that the same characteristic has been studied \u201ca little further east\u201d in North America with large populations of green frogs and bullfrogs. \u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIn green frogs, [the mutation] can be relatively common. It\u2019s still rare, but it might be in .03% of the population or something like that,\u201d said Dr. Mooi. \u201cI think in leopard frogs it’s much, much rarer.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Other stories:<\/p>\n
Dr. Mooi said that while he couldn\u2019t find any written records of other blue leopard frogs in Manitoba, there have been rumours of the characteristic southwest of Winnipeg. \u00a0<\/p>\n
Other mutations\u00a0<\/p>\n
According to Dr. Mooi, Manitoba is also home to other less common frog mutations that alter the appearance of the amphibians. \u00a0<\/p>\n
True albinism \u2014 \u00a0a complete lack of pigment that results in white skin and red eyes in frogs and other species \u2014 is another possibility.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u201cWe’re maybe a little bit fortunate here in Manitoba \u2014 we don’t have to worry about any venomous or poisonous animals, so for the most part, you can usually get a good photograph and not have to worry too much about it.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n
-Dr. Randy Mooi on capturing rare amphibians in photos.\u00a0<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
He said that this spring, his colleague spotted an albino wood frog with dark eyes, which, although not a true albino, is an uncommon sighting nonetheless.<\/p>\n
The instance will result in a report due to its rarity. To Dr. Mooi\u2019s knowledge, the frog may be the first of its type recorded.<\/p>\n
Frogs can also exhibit morphs that include a reddish hue or have mutations that involve missing limbs, a trait attributed to chemicals released into the environment.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Respecting unique\u00a0occurrences\u00a0<\/p>\n
For those who do catch a glimpse of what could be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity of spotting a mutation in nature, Dr. Mooi has a bit of advice. \u00a0<\/p>\n
Although he said that at one time, it was more common to capture the species, now with the ubiquity of high-quality cameras, he recommends doing what Fast did with the blue frog she spotted \u2014 after taking a photo, release the animal to carry on with its life. \u00a0<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u201cOur frog populations were hit quite hard by commercial enterprises for … dissecting frogs in high schools. A good part [of that collecting] happened right here in Manitoba.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n
-Dr. Randy Mooi on part of the reason amphibian populations in Manitoba are dwindling. \u00a0<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re probably\u00a0better off taking … as good a photograph as you can. We’re maybe a little bit fortunate here in Manitoba \u2014 we don’t have to worry about any venomous or poisonous animals,\u201d he said. \u201cSo for the most part, you can usually get a good photograph and not have to worry too much about it.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Dr. Mooi added that there are applications that can help with the identification of the specimens, and, of course, sending pictures to local institutions with expertise is always welcome.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The blue leopard frog sits on some rocks. Submitted photo.\u00a0
\nFewer frogs, fewer opportunities to see mutations\u00a0<\/p>\n
Although there\u2019s always a small chance of encountering a frog with mutations, today it might be even more difficult due to the dwindling populations of amphibians in the province.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The presence of the chytrid fungus, which causes an infectious disease that has impacted amphibians worldwide, is a factor that helps reduce numbers.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u201cI’m always really surprised because … a\u00a0lot of naturalists pay a lot of attention to what’s around them, and it’s amazing the things that you notice and see. I think you have a much higher appreciation for the diversity of our surroundings when you’re paying a little bit more attention.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n
-Dr. Randy Mooi on the value of taking an interest in one\u2019s surroundings.\u00a0<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
A web of human-led actions, including draining amphibians\u2019 natural environments, wetlands, also contributes to population declines in the province, as did a\u00a0business that boomed from the early 1970s to the early 1990s. \u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cA lot of people don\u2019t remember [it] now, but there was a huge commercial frog industry here in Manitoba, and snakes, for that matter,\u201d said Dr. Mooi. \u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cOur frog populations were hit quite hard by commercial enterprises for … dissecting frogs in high schools. A good part [of that collecting] happened right here in Manitoba.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Dr. Mooi said that there is a record of almost 50,000 kilograms of frogs collected for this purpose in the span of a single year, which is well over one million frogs. \u00a0<\/p>\n
The rare blue leopard frog in stark contrast to green grass. Submitted photo.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you do that sort of thing over several seasons, you know you\u2019re going to have some impact on the population,\u201d he added, noting that because leopard frogs in particular mature in\u00a0two to three years (in comparison to other annual species), it takes more time for the populations to replenish.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In Dr. Mooi\u2019s view, to protect amphibians in the province for future generations, preserving the wetland habitat and reducing dependence on pesticides that impact the environment must be prioritized. \u00a0<\/p>\n
The beauty in looking\u00a0<\/p>\n
Despite the presence of barriers to seeing unique cases in nature, for Dr. Mooi, a sighting is always a possibility when one is as attentive to the environment as Fast was in her backyard.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Even if one does not see a blue frog, there are much more common sights that can evoke similar awe. Dr. Mooi\u2019s experiences, which include fieldwork amidst his 21 years of curating the collections at the Manitoba Museum and conducting his own research, can attest to this. \u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI’m always really surprised because … a\u00a0lot of naturalists pay a lot of attention to what’s around them, and it’s amazing the things that you notice and see,\u201d he said. \u201cI think you have a much higher appreciation for the diversity of our surroundings when you’re paying a little bit more attention.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Dr. Mooi added that the Pembina Valley, and Manitoba more broadly, is an environment that rewards those who take the time to appreciate it. \u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have some pretty interesting amphibians. If you go to the southwest part of the province, there are a couple of species there, and, if you go at the right time, the air is just loud with their calls ….\u00a0Some of these natural phenomena are just incredible to see or experience,\u201d he said. \u00a0<\/p>\n
With files from Connie Bailey<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"After online research, Erica Fast found that the chance of finding one is approximately one in a million.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":110255,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[26],"tags":[49,48,66,323],"class_list":{"0":"post-110254","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-wildlife","8":"tag-ca","9":"tag-canada","10":"tag-science","11":"tag-wildlife"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/110254","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=110254"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/110254\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/110255"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=110254"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=110254"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=110254"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}