This article was originally published on The Conversation. The publication contributed this article to Live Science's Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights.
Animals come in all different shapes and sizes, but only a few can change their shapes. Researchers in Ecuador recently reported a new species of frogthat can change its skin texture from spiny to smooth – the first ever case of a shape-shifting vertebrate.
When an animal is about to be attacked by a predator, it has two choices: run or hide. Sometimes, though, running might actually make the animal more obvious to its attacker. An animal that happens to look the same as its environment, however, may survive by being camouflaged from the attacker, such as moths that resemble fallen leaves, or even help to attract prey – a tactic the orchid mantis uses.
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