I do not know too much details on these hairy frogs at Wroclaw Zoo. Possibly 9 or 8 specimens were acquired in Autumn last year (September or October?) from a Czech dealer. During the quarantine period it was discovered that all are heavly infected with internal (intestine?) parasites (round worms possibly-although I'm not sure) and the vets decided for a treatment. Only by chance, sometime in mid January 2009, I got the information that only one hairy frog left. And then I was allowed to go backstage and to take some shots of this specimen. The light conditions were very poor and additionaly I had to take all shots through the glass, as the frog was very nervous and there was no hero to take it to the hand. To my best knowledge no one of all these frogs had the chance to develope this hair-like skin papillae. Perheps they were to young. According to literature such hair-like papillae develop only in adult males during the mating season. (BTW - this last specimen also died)
I did not write "FOR MATING" !!!!! I wrote "during the mating season" !!!!
Well I should write "during the breeding season". I do not think so that there are many people who observed these frogs in the nature but on the net I found the following explanation: Breeding males also develop – somewhat hair-like – dermal papillae that extend along the flanks and thighs. These contain arteries and are thought to increase the surface for the purpose of absorbing oxygen (comparably to external gills of the aquatic stage), which is useful as the male stays with his eggs for an extended period of time after they have been laid in the water by the female.
