lickypickysticky:

Tiny frogs are raised in their fathers’ mouths

Darwin’s frog, found in the forest streams of Argentina and Chile, has quite possibly the weirdest birthing method of any creature. Instead of hanging out in ponds, these little tadpoles help give new meaning to fathers with big fat mouths.

This particular species, which is officially listed as vulnerable, is part of the genus Rhinoderma, which is the only one on the planet whose species raise their young like this. In fact, Darwin’s frog may be the last member left - it’s currently unknown whether the other member of its genus, the Chile Darwin’s frog, has gone extinct or is still out there somewhere. The species get there name, unsurprisingly enough, from Charles Darwin, who first discovered the species during his voyage on the Beagle.

Conservationist Danté Fenolio explains just what how this particular brand of child-rearing works:

“They have a small opening below their tongue. After [the eggs] hatch, he takes the tadpoles into his mouth and manipulates them through that opening and into his vocal sac. For about 60 days, they go all the way through to development inside his vocal sac. At that point when they are ready, fully developed, he coughs up fully formed miniatures of the adult.”

O_O