Photos show freaky metallic blue bullfrog caught in Rhode Island. Take a look

An alien-looking blue bullfrog has been reported in Rhode Island, and state officials say it’s no hoax.

Blue frogs have been found in the past, but it’s an extremely rare phenomenon, the Rhode Island Division of Fish and Wildlife Outdoor Education wrote in a July 19 Facebook post.

“Believe it or not, some of RI’s frog species can occasionally exhibit rare blue coloration!” the division says.

“This pigmentation is known as axanthism, which is caused by a lack of the xanthophores and carotenoids that cause yellow pigmentation in the skin. This means that typically green frogs will look blue.”

The frog was found in mid-July by the Ragosta family, but the location was not revealed.

Photos shared by the family show the odd coloration looks even stranger due to a metallic glint to the frog’s skin.

A national study by Cornell University researchers found 69 blue frogs during a survey of 2 million, which comes to a frequency of 0.003%, according to a Rhode Island Division of Fish and Wildlife report. The study found it may be more common in some regions than others, including several New England states.

“Blue frogs have been reported throughout New England, including in our neighboring states of Massachusetts and Connecticut,” the division says.

“It is not known exactly how the blue coloration is inherited genetically. However, the blue coloration has been observed in many species in the same family (Ranidae) including green frogs, leopard frogs (Lithobates pipiens), and bullfrogs.”