Brazilian researchers have discovered a fruit-eating tree frog off the coast of Rio de Janeiro that spreads pollen from flowers after feeding on their nectar, allowing the plants to reproduce. A Xenohyla truncata it is the first known amphibian in the world that can act as a pollinator.
The tree frog was seen emerging from the flowers with pollen grains attached to its body. As it moves through the environment and goes in search of other flowers to feed on, the pollen is spread and the plants can reproduce.
The behavior is common in birds, bats and insects, but has not been recorded before in amphibians. The discovery was published in the international scientific journal FoodWebs.
According to veterinarian Henrique Nogueira, one of the authors of the article, explains that the diet of the fruit-eating tree frog was already differentiated, as the vast majority of amphibians only eat vegetables while they are still tadpoles.
The species, about five centimeters long, only exists in Brazil, in the restinga areas of Rio de Janeiro.
“When the flower to be ingested is small, the tree frog bites it in its entirety. However, when it is large, the animal penetrates the flower, feeds on the nectar and comes out dirty with pollen. As it was a one-off record, we have to continue the research to see if it really has this function as a pollinator in nature, but it is very likely that it does”, explains Nogueira.
The researcher points out that the frog is at risk due to the expansion of real estate in its habitat. The restinga is found in fragments in the area between the border with the state of São Paulo and the municipality of Rio das Ostras, which is why the species lives in small groups in the most preserved areas.
Henrique Nogueira also says that the preservation of the amphibian becomes even more important now: “If this animal becomes extinct, in addition to the loss of the species, we will also lose an amphibian that plays a unique role. We will perhaps be losing the only amphibian capable of carrying out pollination.”
*Posted by Fernanda Pinotti
Source: CNN Brasil
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