Extremely Rare Amphibian Spotted In Eastern Iowa [PHOTO]
There are tons of small critters and animals that can be found throughout the state of Iowa, no matter where you look. If you're out on a walk or hanging out on your property, when you spot some kind of wild animal, you've normally seen one just like it before or you at least know what it is. This eastern Iowa man has surely seen an Amphibian before but he's never spotted one that looks like this.
Dave Cutler is from Edgewood, Iowa, and according to KWWL, he's a pretty avid outdoorsman. He's been involved with wetlands since he was a kid, and has spent time working to bring endangered species back.
I'm sure he's spotted tons of incredibly interesting animals in his time spent outside but even he couldn't believe his eyes after spotting this blue bullfrog.
How Do Bullfrogs Turn Blue?
Almost every time you spot a bullfrog in Iowa, it's going to be some kind of green and brown color. According to the Iowa DNR, bullfrogs can turn blue when a genetic mutation removes some of the skin's ability to produce yellow pigment. This can filter out certain wavelengths, which results in a blue bullfrog.
Sometimes these blue bullfrogs can look a bit greyish as opposed to bright blue but the one spotted in Dave's backyard is about as sky blue as it gets.
One of the main reasons spotting a blue bullfrog is so rare is that they are a lot easier for predators to spot. They will normally be eaten much quicker than a green/brown bullfrog, which has an easier time blending in with its surroundings.
After spotting the bullfrog, Dave told KWWL
I couldn't believe my eyes. All our bullfrogs are green, and this one was blue. I thought 'Well, I've got to be imaging that,' because I was just talking about that a couple of days ago. So I took pictures, and sure enough, he's blue as can be.
Cutler also mentioned wanting to get the bullfrog into a zoo, in order for other people to see the frog in person.
The Iowa DNR wants to hear from you if you ever come across a blue bullfrog. If you spot one, give them a call at 1(515) 725-8200
*These Are Different Photos Of Blue Bullfrogs*