Seven new tiny frog species discovered

 

 

Researchers from Brazil have discovered seven new species of Brachycephalus frog in the cloud rainforests of Brazil. What makes these frogs unique, however, is their minuscule size: the largest of the seven species is only 13.4 mm long.

 

The study describing the new species was published in the journal PeerJ.

 

These new species were found in southern Brazil, in the states of Paraná and Santa Catarina, doubling the number of known Brachycephalus species. This “high success” in identifying new species may mean that the total number of Brachycephalus is actually underestimated.

 

The new species are B. mariaeterezae (with an average length of 10.4-13.4 mm), B. olivaceus (9.4–12.9 mm), B. auroguttatus (9.0–13.6 mm), B. verrucosus (9.6–13.2 mm), B. fuscolineatus (9.7–12.4 mm), B. leopardus (9.7–11.9 mm), and B. boticario (10.0–12.7 mm).

 

You can tell them apart by their colors and how smooth or rough their skin is.

 

Brachycephalus species are usually only found in one or a few mountaintops, which means that their tolerance for changes in their environment is very low. “Assessments over the course of our fieldwork raise concern about their conservation status,” the study said. “Cloud forests in southern Brazil have experienced disturbances from a variety of sources, particularly from (often illegal) deforestation for pine tree plantations and extensive cattle ranching.” — Bea Montenegro/TJD, GMA News