{"id":32999,"date":"2012-10-19T01:23:13","date_gmt":"2012-10-19T05:23:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/planetsave.com\/?p=32999"},"modified":"2012-10-19T01:23:13","modified_gmt":"2012-10-19T05:23:13","slug":"frog-with-retractable-spike-in-false-thumb-uses-it-for-fighting-new-research-shows","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/planetsave.com\/articles\/frog-with-retractable-spike-in-false-thumb-uses-it-for-fighting-new-research-shows\/","title":{"rendered":"Frog With Retractable Spike In False Thumb Uses It For Fighting, New Research Shows"},"content":{"rendered":"

 
\nA species of frog that uses a retractable spike hidden in a false thumb for fighting has been discovered. The ‘Otton frog’ was just discovered in the Amami islands of Southern Japan.<\/p>\n

\"20121018-222202.jpg\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Most frogs only possess four digits, but the Otton possesses an extra structure resembling a thumb. The only other frogs known of that have a similar trait are the five-fingered Hypsiboas rosenbergi frogs of Latin America.<\/p>\n

“Why these ‘fifth fingers’ exist in some species remains an evolutionary mystery, but the extra digit of the Otton is in fact a pseudo-thumb,” said lead researcher, Dr Noriko Iwai. “The digit encases a sharp spine which can project out of the skin, which fieldwork demonstrates is used for combat and mating.”<\/p>\n

The rare frogs have actually been studied since 2004, in an attempt to better understand the distribution of the species and its breeding habits and range. These are all important when designing a conservation strategy. During the research, it was observed that while both sexes had a spike, only the males used it.<\/p>\n

“Males were found to have larger pseudo-thumbs than the females and Dr Iwai believes that the spikes evolved for anchoring to the female, known as amplexus, the Latin for embrace, during mating,” a Wiley news release states.
\n