Bespectacled Hotties

Now, from the all-important question to the undying one ｡ﾟ( ﾟ^∀^ﾟ)ﾟ｡

P.S. May you all forgive me for how I butchered Reno.

Perak Horned Frog (Xenophrys cf. aceras), family Megophryidae, Yala, Thailand

Serving some major squeeee 😱🥹🥰⁠

Vietnamese Mossy Frog (Theloderma corticale), family Rhacophoridae, Vietnam

Today's animal of the day is the Blunt-Headed Tree Snake (Imantodes cenchoa)!

Photo credit: Geoff Gallice

Also known as the fiddle-string snake, this species of arboreal snake can be found in the tropical rainforests of Mexico as well as both Central and South America. They can reach a maximum size of 4 ft 11 in long and are known for their long, slender bodies with comically large heads. Their eyes are also incredibly large compared to the rest of their bodies, and take up nearly 26% of their total head space. While this might look really goofy, it actually helps improve their vision significantly compared to other species of snakes, which are known for having very poor eyesight. Most other snakes rely mostly on their sense of smell as well as vibrations to detect predators and prey, but since the blunt-headed tree snake needs to be able to clearly see the branches of the trees it's climbing, they need to have better vision than the average snake. The slitted shape of its pupil even allows it to look down without moving its entire head, which most snakes are unable to do.

Photo credit: Max Hofmann

Blund-headed tree snakes are active mostly at night, which is another reason they need good eyesight, and will forage through the vegetation in search of prey. Their diet consists mostly of lizards, but they'll also often go after frogs and have been known to eat eggs when the opportunity presents itself. Females tend to be larger than males, meaning that they can take on larger prey. Size isn't the only difference between the sexes. In fact, the populations in the north and south actually seem to exhibit two very different types of sexual dimorphism. Northern males tend to have longer tails than southern males and both types of females, while southern females tend to have much larger heads.

Photo credit: Laurent Hesemans

A newly fledged leucistic starling in my window feeder!

Long-nosed Horned Frog (Pelobatrachus nasutus), family Megophryidae, Lupa Masa Rainforest Camp, Sabah, Borneo

Have you ever seen a pink grasshopper? Though the meadow grasshopper (Chorthippus parallelus) is typically distinguished by its green and brown coloration, a genetic mutation called erythrism leaves some individuals looking pretty in pink! Erythrism is the overproduction of red pigment. While these rare insects are beautiful to look at, pink grasshoppers are hindered by their vivid coloring because it makes hiding from predators much more difficult.

Solomon Island Leaf Frog aka Guenther’s Triangle Frog (Cornufer guentheri), family Ceratobatrachidae, endemic to the Solomon Islands

Formerly known as Ceratobatrachus guentheri.

Solomon Island Leaf Frog aka Guenther’s Triangle Frog (Cornufer guentheri), family Ceratobatrachidae, endemic to the Solomon Islands

Formerly known as Ceratobatrachus guentheri.