Transparency poses a problem for animals: blood is seen. In a small glass frog, researchers have discovered an amazing way to get around this obstacle.
When she rests, Hyalinobatrachium fleischmanni collects a large part of her red blood cells in her liver. The cells that would color the vessels are thus concentrated elsewhere, and the body becomes more transparent. When the frog resumes its activity, the red blood cells return to the circulation.
The result seems to be a tale of invisibility. However, it is based on a very material displacement of cells. Another enigma then appears: how does the animal support this concentration without the coagulation problems that could be feared? The discovery explains part of the camouflage. It opens, in the same movement, a new question.
What we know
The phenomenon studied concerns this species and its rest periods; it does not constitute medical treatment.
To go to the source
References consulted on September 20, 2026. Linked pages may be in another language.
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