Corroboree frogs get yellower but no thanks to β-carotene

Southern corroboree frogs (Pseudophryne corroboree) may look cute clambering over moss in their Australian alpine bog homes, but the tiny amphibian's bright yellow bands are a potent warning. The animals fantastically toxic and best avoided. warnings signalled by many brightly coloured creatures depend on plant pigments – carotenoids consumed diets, Phillip Byrne Aimee Silla from University of Wollongong, Australia, knew that two such pigments, lutein β-carotene, turn up skins frogs. In addition, become increasingly vivid as they grow, yet it wasn't clear whether diets contribute to flashy display. So, Byrne, Sara Walton (University Wollongong) put recently hatched froglets diet crickets dusted with different quantities β-carotene supplement (ranging 0 3 μg g−1) kept an eye youngsters grew, find out contributed developing colour.However, after 32 weeks, least-supplemented were just same age largest amounts carotenoid. Their didn't seem impact hue. By contrast, when Walton, sensory ecologist John Endler Deakin University, compared colour youngest hues older, was stripes had much yellower probably pigment cells chromatophores developed accumulated alternative pteridine.But why do these grow? Explaining black tadpoles for camouflage boggy peat pond team suspects rapidly growing switch advertising presence warn would-be predators would definitely get more than bargained if tried mouthful frog.