The Secrets of Frog Camouflage

On this week's news update…

Collecting Plants

Collecting rare plants…

Frog Camouflage

The secrets of frog camouflage…

Mars Winter

And photos of winter on Mars!

First up…

Hawaii is home to many rare plants. Some grow nowhere else in the world, and scientists are eager to protect them so they don't become extinct. However, several of the plants grow high in the mountains, so it can be difficult to find them. Now, scientists have found a new way to search for rare plants—drones!

The drones can fly to the tops of cliffs and dangle a small robot beneath them. Cameras on the robot can help scientists on the ground spot different plants. Once they’ve found a rare plant, the robot can cut off a small sample. The samples can then be used to breed more rare plants, which can help preserve Hawaii's unique plant life!

Up next…

glass frogs

Glass frogs live in forests across South America. Their skin is almost transparent, or see through, which makes them hard for predators to spot. Recently, scientists have discovered that when glass frogs are sleeping, their camouflage becomes even more effective! Scientists filmed the frogs when they were awake and when they were asleep. They noticed that when the frogs were awake, red blood could be seen moving through their bodies.
But when the frogs were asleep, less blood could be seen moving through. Being able to pump less blood through their body when they sleep enables glass frogs to become almost invisible to other animals, making it hard for hungry hunters to eye them up for a snack!

And finally…

Wintery weather has recently affected many parts of the United States. But Earth isn't the only planet that experiences winter—Mars does too! During winter, temperatures on Mars can plunge to -190°F, around 100° colder than even the coldest parts of Antarctica.

-190ºF

NASA has recently released some stunning photos of winter on Mars. One image shows huge ice pits on Mars's south pole—and the smallest is the size of a sports stadium! Another photo shows giant sand dunes covered in frost and ice.

Unlike Earth, much of the ice on Mars is formed by carbon dioxide gas becoming so cold that it freezes solid. This winter weather phenomenon doesn't happen back on Earth because it doesn't get cold enough for carbon dioxide to freeze. Do you think humans could one day survive the extreme winters on Mars?

That's all for this week. We'll see you next time!