A tiny, orange Brazilian tree frog may be the first known amphibian pollinator, further broadening our understanding of which animals perform this crucial biological function
On rainy nights on the verdant coastal plains outside Rio de Janeiro, groups of tree frogs sometimes gather around the pearly white flowers of the milk fruit tree. But while most tree frogs are on the prowl for night-flying insects, one species is after the sugary nectar in the flowers. The tiny, orange Xenohyla truncata’s sweet tooth might make it the world’s first known pollinating amphibian.
The discovery is an encouraging first step, but more research is needed to prove the frogs are pollinators, says Ruth Cozien, a biologist who researches pollination at the University of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa and was not involved in the new study. Future research could include long-term monitoring of flowers with cameras or the use of frog-barring cages to see if milk flowers are less successful at reproducing when frogs can’t access them.
For Cozien, the possible frog-mediated pollination illustrates how unexpected ecological interactions are still out there to be discovered when people do basic fieldwork. The past decade has seen a boom in descriptions of unexpected pollinators, including lizards, opossums, brown rats and cockroaches. Many of those finds came from technology such as camera traps, Cozien says. These devices make it easier to catch secretive species in the act.
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