The Pig Frog

It looks like a blob, lives underground, and sucks bugs like a vacuum but this strange purple frog might actually be a clue to how Earth itself once broke apart.

Deep in the mountains of southwestern India, scientists have discovered a bizarre new species: a round, purple frog with tiny eyes, a pointy snout, and a body that looks almost like a squishy blob.

It’s officially called Bhupathy’s purple frog, named after scientist Subramaniam Bhupathy.

https://allthatsinteresting.com/india-bhupathys-purple-frog

But what makes this frog truly strange isn’t just how it looks, it’s how it lives.

Most of its life is spent underground. It almost never comes to the surface. When it eats, it doesn’t chase prey like most frogs. Instead, it uses its tongue like a vacuum, pulling insects straight out of the soil.

And that’s where things get even more interesting.

Scientists think this unusual frog may help support the idea of Continental Drift.

The idea is that long ago; Earth’s continents were joined together in a giant landmass called Gondwana. Over millions of years, they slowly drifted apart.

Because similar frogs are found in places that are now far away from each other, scientists think these tiny underground creatures could be living evidence of that ancient connection.

And even now, the discovery is a reminder of how much is still hidden beneath our feet with scientists describing more than 100 new frog species every year, meaning Earth’s strangest creatures may still be waiting to be found.
Lana Backman