A team of researchers spotted six different specimens of tiny frogs on an expedition to Mexico, providing new insight into the taxonomy of amphibians. The six frogs measure less than a dime and are in effect among the smallest ever known
He is about to end up run over, his mother saves him
In the forests of Mexico, a team of researchers, including the curator of the amphibians and reptiles section of the British Natural History Museum, has made a surprising discovery: six hitherto unknown frogs have recently been identified, bringing the number of Mexican Craugastor species from 6 to 12. The research, with related data, was published in the scientific journal Herpetological Monographs.
Frogs are not only new to science, but also tiny, measuring less than 18 millimeters, or almost as much as a 1 cent coin, entering by right in the ranking of the smallest frogs in the world, whose title is currently held by Paedophryne amanuensis.
The latter was found in Papua New Guinea in 2012 and with its 7,7 millimeters in length it ousted the Brazilian Brachycephalus didactylus which measures 8.6 millimeters.
The six new Craugastors have been discovered in a heterogeneous habitat ranging from rainforests to mountain woods, they all have different sizes and colors based on the type of environment they inhabit, but it is not known how large they can become.
The six new species have been given names that recall either their ecosystem or the Aztec culture, as for C. cueyatl, a term that would actually mean frog.
It was nice to honor the rich and profound human history of the Valley of Mexico, as the Aztecs would have probably been aware of this species "
said Dr. Streicher of the Natural History Museum.
All six amphibians were however classified as endangered species, from vulnerable to high conservation status.
Scientists are concerned about climate change, which is wiping out an unquantifiable amount of animal and plant species, but also fungal diseases such as chithridiomycosis which has caused serious deaths of amphibians all over the planet, affecting their skin.
Being amphibians, if their habitats change due to land use changes or even natural events such as landslides, they may not be able to move away "
continues one of the authors of the research.
Fonte: Herpetological Monographs
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