While hiking through the high grasslands on the eastern side of Lesotho, I came across a large Maluti River Frog (Amietia vertebralis). These frogs live in cool mountain streams—and they’re perfectly built for it.
They can stay submerged underwater for hours, and unlike most amphibians, they’re real cold-weather champs. The Maluti River Frog takes cold tolerance to the extreme. It can survive in temperatures well below freezing, and its tadpoles can even swim in icy pools beneath a layer of ice—pretty incredible for a frog!
They can stay submerged underwater for hours, and unlike most amphibians, they’re real cold-weather champs. The Maluti River Frog takes cold tolerance to the extreme. It can survive in temperatures well below freezing, and its tadpoles can even swim in icy pools beneath a layer of ice—pretty incredible for a frog!
It’s an amazing species, tough and well-suited to life in one of southern Africa’s most rugged environments.
~ written by Stuart McLean