Year: 2026
Media: Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Figma
Videos of tiny pumpkin toadlets jumping have captured the internet's heart, as their "jumps" involve launching themselves, stiff-bodied and tumbling uncontrollably, into an ungraceful crash landing. But why are they so bad at jumping? This infographic aims to explain to the general public how extreme miniaturization, which is adaptive in helping the pumpkin toadlets hide in leaf litter, has shrunk their semicircular canals past the point of proper function. As a result, they cannot sense their spatial orientation during a jump and are unable to position themselves for landing.
Featured in the 2026 Guild of Natural Science Illustrators Juried Member’s Exhibit.
References
Academic Sources
Bradshaw, Andrew P., Curthoys, Ian S., Todd, Michael J. et al (2010). A Mathematical Model of Human Semicircular Canal Geometry: A New Basis for Interpreting Vestibular Physiology. JARO11, 145–159. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10162-009-0195-6
IUCN Red List. (2021). Brachycephalus olivaceus. Retrieved June 10, 2026, from https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/82410125/86254772
IUCN Red List. (2021). Brachycephalus leopardus. Retrieved June 10, 2026, from https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/82410087/86255125
IUCN Red List. (2021). Brachycephalus toby. Retrieved June 10, 2026, from https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/78456088/86256114
IUCN Red List. (2021). Brachycephalus rotenbergae. Retrieved June 10, 2026, from https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/211137592/211137839
IUCN Red List. (2021). Flea Toad: Brachycephalus pulex. Retrieved June 10, 2026, from https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/45727654/45727657
IUCN Red List. (2021). Brachycephalus crispus. Retrieved June 10, 2026, from https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/78426959/86256104
IUCN Red List. (2021). Serra Cantareira Saddleback Toad: Brachycephalus nodoterga. Retrieved June 10, 2026, from https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/54454/87309769
IUCN Red List. (2021). Brachycephalus fuscolineatus. Retrieved June 10, 2026, from https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/82410083/86255130
IUCN Red List. (2021). Brachycephalus coloratus. Retrieved June 10, 2026, from https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/121386792/121386898
IUCN Red List. (2021). Brachycephalus margaritatus. Retrieved June 10, 2026, from https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/45727645/45727648
IUCN Red List. (2021). Botão-de-ouro: Brachycephalus ephippium. Retrieved June 10, 2026, from https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/81978049/81977811
IUCN Red List. (2021). Brachycephalus mariaeterezae. Retrieved June 10, 2026, from https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/82410098/86254782
IUCN Red List. (2021). Brachycephalus boticario. Retrieved June 10, 2026, from https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/82410053/86255373
IUCN Red List. (2021). Brachycephalus guarani. Retrieved June 10, 2026, from https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/78456078/86256109
IUCN Red List. (2021). Brachycephalus tridactylus. Retrieved June 10, 2026, from https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/78456097/86256119
IUCN Red List. (2021). Brachycephalus albolineatus. Retrieved June 10, 2026, from https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/112684487/112684649
IUCN Red List. (2021). Brachycephalus ferruginus. Retrieved June 10, 2026, from https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/135912/172237081
IUCN Red List. (2021). Brachycephalus vertebralis. Retrieved June 10, 2026, from https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/54456/172199423
IUCN Red List. (2021). Brachycephalus actaeus. Retrieved June 10, 2026, from https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/154029687/154029709
IUCN Red List. (2021). Brachycephalus verrucosus. Retrieved June 10, 2026, from https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/82410160/86254634
IUCN Red List. (2021). Brachycephalus garbeanus. Retrieved June 10, 2026, from https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/81978203/86255333
IUCN Red List. (2021). Brachycephalus bufonoides. Retrieved June 10, 2026, from https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/81978198/86255368
IUCN Red List. (2021). Brachycephalus auroguttatus. Retrieved June 10, 2026, from https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/82410041/86255383
IUCN Red List. (2021). Brachycephalus sulfuratus. Retrieved June 10, 2026, from https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/90761553/90762086
IUCN Red List. (2021). Brachycephalus quiririensis. Retrieved June 10, 2026, from https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/89153977/139243515
IUCN Red List. (2021). Brachycephalus darkside. Retrieved June 10, 2026, from https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/154029830/154029839
IUCN Red List. (2021). Flea frog: Brachycephalus hermogenesi. Retrieved June 10, 2026, from https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/29487/172198884
IUCN Red List. (2021). Brachycephalus pernix. Retrieved June 10, 2026, from https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/54455/172199287
IUCN Red List. (2021). Brachycephalus alipioi. Retrieved June 10, 2026, from https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/135774/172235313
IUCN Red List. (2021). Brachycephalus pombali. Retrieved June 10, 2026, from https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/135830/172236071
Essner, Richard L. Jr., Pereira, Rudá E. E., Blackburn, David C., Singh, Amber L., Stanley, Edward L., Moura, Mauricio O., Confetti, André E., & Pie, Marcio R (2022). Semicircular canal size constrains vestibular function in miniaturized frogs. Science Advances 8(24).https://doi/10.1126/sciadv.abn1104
Zhong, Jun, Luo, Minzhou, Liu, Xiaofeng, Fan, Jizhuang & Zhao, Jie (2018). Frog-inspired jumping robot actuated by pneumatic muscle actuators. Advances in Mechanical Engineering. https://doi.org/10.1177/1687814018782303
Visual References
UCSF Balance and Falls Center (2018). Inner Ear. Sketchfab. Retrieved June 1, 2026, from https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/inner-ear-f871a9aa95cd4f08844207634747cf1b
Science News (2023). These tiny frogs are really bad at landing jumps | Science News. Youtube. Retrieved June 3, 2026, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IDpuqX738I4
Ribeiro, Luiz Fernando (2022). Pumpkin Toadlet. SYFY. Retrieved June 1, 2026, from https://www.syfy.com/syfy-wire/pumpkin-toadlets-inner-ears-make-them-bad-at-jumping
Muscar, Edelcio. A new member of the newly dubbed Brachycephalus rotenbergae, a pumpkin toadlet. Gizmodo. Retrieved June 1, 2026, from https://gizmodo.com/glowing-pumpkin-toadlet-cant-hear-its-own-tiny-scream-1846782367