This pointed-nose frog, Rhinoderma darwinii, was observed and described by Charles Darwin during his famous voyage to South America on the HMS Beagle (1831-1836). Darwin's fascination with the species is easy to explain-it employs a bizarre reproductive strategy. Twenty to 30 eggs laid by a single female are typically guarded by several males. When the eggs hatch, the males reflexively gulp the wriggling tadpoles into a special internal brood pouch. The juvenile frogs develop into miniature frogs inside their father or an adoptive one and emerge as independent frogs from the adult's mouth. The species is native to Chile.
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