Little Frog Runs Toward Danger
A small amphibian has a counter-intuitive approach to avoiding being eaten by flying predators.
To avoid avian predators this frog runs at them
The tiny tungara frog - found in Central and South America - is so named because of the sound it makes to attract females. But that same sound comes with a cost, because it also gets the attention of predators, especially the fringed-lipped bat.
Scientists, including Dr. Matthew Bulbert from the Department of Biology at Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia, wanted to understand what the tungara frog does to evade predation from the air, because it is also extremely vulnerable to terrestrial attack from snakes, spiders and other frogs. In an experiment, he discovered a very simple, yet effective escape plan.
As you would expect, the frog moves away from ground predators. But surprisingly, it moves toward aerial attackers. The frog moves forward at the last moment, undercutting the bat's flight path. This manoeuvre leaves the bat no time to adjust its flight trajectory.
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