Scientists have recently published a study on a new amphibian they have been observing over the past few years: the Anura Caephonia. In marshes, the Anura stays very still in shallow water near the land bank for most of the day. At times, it wanders on land, but mostly for the purpose of migration or to find better breeding grounds. The Anura can typically be found submerged mostly in water, leaving only the top of its back exposed. They have a large number of pairs of feet, ranging from six to eleven, that help them anchor to the stream floor. Some of their toes are webbed, while others aren’t. 

Notably, on its back, the Anura has what appears to be plants– or rather appendages camouflaged as marsh plants. These “plants” both help to camouflage them into the environment but also help them lure prey. The Anura essentially wait for prey to come to them: they feast on small mammals in the marshes who feed on vegetation, and have also been documented eating other creatures like turtles, muskrats, insects from time to time. They are able to open and close their backs to reveal the plants whenever they wish. When their prey comes near, they lunge upwards, using their long sticky tongue to secure their meal, and spin to attack. They are surprisingly fast for how still they are. 

However, because the Anura stays so still, they suffer from leeches on its sides and underbelly. The amphibian has tougher skin on its back, but softer skin on its underside. Ducks and other smaller birds have a mutualistic relationship with the Anura, feeding on its leeches and helping to clean up pondweed on its body. 

The Anura has tubercles on the underside of its head and has a long, strong tail to help propel it through the water. They similarly also have mossy gills similar to the known amphibian the axolotl, where these frills help them pull oxygen from the water. The Anura have poor eyesight and no eyelids, and mainly rely on their sensors to detect prey and danger. Scientists have been unable to observe predation of the Anura but are suspected they are feasted on by larger birds and mammals.