Tree creature — with ‘translucent’ belly — spotted in rainforest. See the new species
In the southern highlands of Papua New Guinea, streams flow at an incredible speed.
The great torrents are the perfect habitat for small, hopping creatures that breed nearby.
The area has been heavily studied over the past quarter-century, researchers said in a study published June 28 in the journal Vertebrate Zoology, revealing more than 100 new species of frogs.
Now, two more have been discovered.
Researchers set out along the rivers armed with flashlights on their heads and a Walkman recorder, according to the study.
With microphone at the ready, they listened for the calls of frogs perched on leaves just above the flowing water.
Then, they heard a call.
A “single loud, musical note, sounding like ‘tink,’ uttered from leaves and branches between ... (6 and 16 feet) above the banks of large foothill streams,” directed researchers to the location of the first new species, according to the study.
Litoria kikori, or the kikori torrent tree frog from the Kikori River basin, is just over an inch long, with long arms and legs and extensive webbing between its toes, researchers said.
The kikori torrent tree frog has a marbled, “green-and-brown-mottled” body, with a hidden “purplish” groin, according to the study.
When examining photos, researchers said that the parts of the belly that were visible were “translucent, but heavily overlaid with white spots.”
The unique coloration sets it apart from other known species, researchers said, along with its smaller size, pointed snout and bumpy edges of their feet.
But that wasn’t the only new species found in the rainforest.
Litoria grinpela, the green torrent tree frog, differs from the kikori torrent tree frog by having predominantly green coloration, researchers said.
Even smaller, the green torrent tree frog only reaches lengths of 1 inch, and has little or no pattern at all, according to the study.
The species has a thin brown stripe or blotch along its side, and the hidden inside of the thighs and groin is orange.
The snout of the animal is rounded, and its skin is “relatively smooth” compared to other known species, according to the study.
While the other species has a musical call, this species instead produces “unmusical tapping or popping notes uttered in quick succession,” researchers said.
Both species were found at relatively low elevations, geographically separated from other torrent-breeding tree frogs, potentially contributing to their establishment as unique species, according to the study.
Since they have only been found in a small area, researchers believe they may be a threatened or even endangered species and more research should be done to establish their population numbers.
The frogs were found in the mountains of Papua New Guinea, a country that shares an island with Indonesia north of Australia.
