Facts about Glass Frog Transparency
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Among vertebrates, glass frogs are unusual in achieving near-transparency in living tissue, a trait far more common in marine invertebrates.
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A glass frog's transparency relies on having unusually thin, unpigmented skin over the abdomen, allowing light to pass through to the organs beneath.
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Camouflage is enhanced by glass frog transparency because the visible gut contents can mirror the green coloration of leaves in the background.
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Researchers discovered in 2020 that glass frogs achieve transparency during sleep by sequestering red blood cells in crystalline form within the liver.
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Glass frog transparency is found primarily on the ventral side, where the skin of the abdomen reveals visible internal organs including the heart and digestive tract.
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The transparency of glass frogs is achieved by concentrating red blood cells in the liver when resting, reducing visible color in the skin and muscles.