On the rare occasions when it rains in the deserts of Central Australia,

Cyclorana platecephala – the water holding frog- emerges from its under ground den.

It absorbs half it own weight of water and looks like a small balloon.

This enables it to survive during the long droughts.

During the rain storm the frog feeds on insects, mate and lay eggs in the short-lived pools.

They hatch, and start a race against the sun for survival.

To win the race, the tadpoles have to become young frogs,

and be able to breath air- before the pool dries up.

Within a few weeks- much faster than any other species of frogs,

these tadpoles grow into tiny frog-lets.

As the rain water dries up, the adults and the young frogs,

burrow underground and make a small living chamber for themselves.

They secrete a membrane-like envelope around their skin,

complete with a breathing hole – to retain the precious water stored in the body.

The frogs wait for years without moving – until the rain comes again.