User:Sgotha1/Desert tree frog

Unlike most desert frogs, L. rubella does not burrow to avoid heat and desiccation. However, compared to other desert frogs of a similar size, they have a relatively low rate of evaporative water loss, and do not dry out as quickly as expected under hot and dry conditions. Their low rate of evaporative water loss can partly be attributed to adopting a water-conserving posture, where frogs tuck their limbs close to their body and close off ventral skin from the outside environment (Withers, 1995). One study found that frog species using a water-conserving posture tended to have a higher resistance to evaporative water loss (Young et al., 2005). L. rubella can also change their color from dark brown to bright white, which serves to increase solar reflectance off the skin and decreases their heat intake, and, unlike most amphibians, when exposed to dry air they will change color regardless of previous background color (Young et al., 2005).