Hocus pocus: frogs are deceptive

It sounds like it belongs in a mystical novel, but frog invisibility is very real.

Australian researchers say aposematic frogs - those which use their distinctive pattern variations to ward off predators - have the ability to appear invisible.

The researches have detected nuances in species of frogs where some individuals use their colourful shades to advertise their poisonous nature, while others use their characteristic patterns to remain unseen.

Researchers studied the poison dart frogs in the wild to look for peculiarities of markings that varied among animals.

They found the more variable the frog's marking, the less likely they were to be seen by predators.

Professor John Endler of Deakin University said some frogs moved in an orderly fashion while others moved more randomly, noting this behaviour variation corresponded to the different colour patterns.

"The frogs with elongated patterns moved continuously in the same direction to create an illusion of static pattern, or a pattern travelling at a slower speed, to thwart predators attempting to track their trajectory," he said on Friday.

"But frogs which moved randomly and changed directions frequently rely on interrupted colour patterns that appear visually disruptive and hard to see at a distance, giving them an advantage in predator detection rather than tracking."

Prof Endler said he was excited about the revelations because they might have application in the human world, such as for defence camouflage.

"Alternatively, taxis, police cars and ambulances could be painted with horizontal stripes to make them more easily seen when they are going past," he said.