EPOW - Ecology Picture of the Week

The Real Argentinean Lake Monster

Four-eyed Frog tadpoles (Pleurodema [sometimes Pleuroderma] bufonina), Family Leptodactylidae
Challhuaco Reserve, Argentina

Explanation:  Last week, we visited a mysterious lake in the Andes Mountains of Argentina, that supposedly sports a Loch Ness-type creature.  This week we have found the real Argentinean lake monster.  Observe the denizen of lakes and ponds of the region:  the bizarre Four-eyed Frog.   
 

Well, it's not a mutation from some nuclear test gone horribly awry.  These are obviously the tadpole stage of what will eventually metamorphose into a mostly-terrestrial frogs of this diverse anuran family.  

Its "four eyes" are a reference to poison glands that bulge from its hips, that look like extra eyes.  When alarmed, the frog will turn and raise its hind quarters, exposing the "eye" poison glands all the more.  The "extra eyes" might act as a "flash behavior" to startle a potential predator, giving the frog the extra moment needed to escape.  And should the predator still grab a mouthful, it will receive a hearty dose of toxins, likely instantly releasing its prey and learning not to attack again.  So in two ways, the Four-eyed Frog has effective defenses.

Whether it qualifies as a true lake monster, you decide.