Rare, Completely Blue Leopard Frog Spotted in Massachusetts

Late this summer, scientists made a surprising and unusual discovery. They spotted a strangely colored leopard frog: one that was bright blue and represented a truly rare find.

Leopard frogs are named for their striking, dark spots along their sides and backs. Most of these amphibians tend to be green, beige or some combination of these colors. Yet the one that was spotted in this case was blue with no hint of any of the other usual colors. With its bright coloration, the blue frog looked like it belonged more in the tropics than in Massachusetts.

Blue leopard frogs are actually extremely rare, according to the Boston Globe. Only about one in 300,000 specimens are estimated to have this particular coloration, and only three specimens have been found in recent years. One was found in New Jersey in 2003 and another was found in Delaware in 2007; a third was discovered in New York earlier this year.

Leopard frogs in general, though, are somewhat common in North America. Once the most abundant and widespread frog species in this region, they've now experienced declines in recent years, according to National Geographic. Usually reaching about three to five inches, nose to rump, these frogs generally live near ponds and marshes.

While in this case the researchers weren't hunting for this color aberration, the finding does provide a rare opportunity. They've already taken tissue samples in order to test whether the blue leopard frog is a new species, or just a genetic aberration.

"Obviously, my work does not include an objective to find aberrantly colored frogs," said Jacob Kubel, a conservation scientist with the state Division of Fisheries and Wildlife's Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program, in an interview with the Boston Globe. "But incidental discoveries like this-seeing things I've never observed before-help to keep my work interesting."