During the daytime in Namibia and South Africa, it can be too hot for this desert rain frog (Breviceps macrops) to come out and look for food. And at night, there are snakes and scorpions to avoid.
Yet, this nocturnal amphibian demonstrates how it survives with both stillness and speed in this sound effect-filled BBC Earth video, a tense then potentially giggle-inducing clip from Eden: Untamed Planet.
On the desert rain frog’s menu: Up to 100 termites from an unlucky termite colony in the dune grass.
More about the desert rain frog from IUCN Redlist (pdf):
“Interestingly, this frog is fossorial which means it has adapted to burrowing and underground living, without water, burying itself in sand dunes vegetated with low vegetation.
“Although a locally common species, the overall population of the Desert Rain Frog is in decline due to the loss of the quality and extent of its habitat. This is mainly as a result of coastal opencast diamond mining, but also from the development of roads, increasing pressure from human settlement and land-use changes (e.g., grazing by livestock).
“Currently there are no known conservation measures in place for this intriguing looking amphibian.”
Watch these related desert videos next:
• A fish, a frog, and a lizard that can survive drought
• How sand swimming shovel-snouted lizards stay cool in the Namib Desert
• Why Are Scorpions Fluorescent?
• Kangaroo Rats Are Furry, Spring-Loaded Ninjas
• The secret belowground life of newborn meerkat pups
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