By Laura Anderson
Frog season is just beginning! Soon, froglets will be emerging from their ponds and heading out onto land for the first time. Everyone knows the iconic frog call, but have you heard of the frog with no voice?
Discovered in February of 2023, in the Ukaguru Mountains of Tanzania, a soundless frog, named Hyperolius ukagurensis, found himself in the news. This little amphibian belongs to the family of reed frogs found in Sub-Saharan Africa.
It bears resemblance to Hyperolius spinigularis, the spiny-throated reed frogs, due to a shared feature concerning the strange spines found on its vocal sack. However, there is something unique about the Hyperolius ukagurensis - they have no voice! These frogs don’t make a sound!
Yet how do these amphibians communicate without their renowned ribbit? That is something we don’t know yet. However scientists do have suggestions. Some have proposed the use of touch and smell through the emission of pheromones.
Little is known about these peculiar frogs, but scientists are ready to research more! We frog-lovers wait patiently to learn more about the Hyperolius ukagurensis.
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