Brazilian tree frog may be the first known amphibian pollinator

When the forest fauna goes to sleep, a tree frog prowls the coastal Atlantic Forest of Brazil in search of the milk fruit tree, drawn to the delectable nectar inside its trumpet-shaped flowers and the creamy white fruit.

- Alexandria Ee

In December 2020, Dr Luis Felipe Toledo, head of the Amphibians Natural History Lab at the University of Campinas in Brazil, and his team observed the feeding activity of Xenohyla truncata in eastern Brazil's Restinga forests.

The frogs emerged from the flowers with pollen grains stuck to their backs, providing evidence that frogs may act as pollinators the team reported in Volume 35 of the Food Webs scientific journal.

It was the first time a frog - or any amphibian - has been observed pollinating a plant.