Hopping to the Future

Blue Poison Dart Frogs are one of the 175+ species of Poison Dart Frogs in the Amazon that are currently threatened by rising temperatures and drought. If this continues, how will frogs retain the moisture they need to survive? That's where "aquaporins" come in. Aquaporins are specialized organelles that absorb and store water in the skin. With these organelles, frogs will be able to go longer without water and survive in a world where water is becoming scarce. Along with aquaporins, I had my frog develop longer limbs to travel further distances in search of food since habitat loss is decreasing the abundance of prey. The final adaptation for this frog is more camouflaged skin to hide from humans that traffic them for their bright colors. These adaptations will help these precious frogs survive in a rapidly changing world and will preserve the diversity of our forests.