Water-holding Frog

Cyclorana platycephala can absorb large amounts of water into its body tissues and then bury itself underground, where it secretes a mucus cocoon that prevents dehydration. In this state of estivation, it can remain dormant for several years waiting for the next significant rainfall.

This species is native to the arid and semi-arid interior of Australia, including the desert and grassland regions of the outback. It thrives in some of the driest inhabited areas of the continent by exploiting temporary water sources after rain.

Indigenous Australians have traditionally located and dug up estivating water-holding frogs in the desert as an emergency source of hydration. By gently squeezing the frog, they could extract the stored water, a survival technique passed down through generations.

The water-holding frog can remain dormant underground for periods of several years, surviving entirely on stored water and fat reserves. It emerges only when heavy rains saturate the ground and create temporary pools for breeding.