Forest creature — with ‘bluish green’ bones and red-streaked eyes — is a new species
A four-legged creature perched on a branch in the depths of a forest in Peru. He tilted his head up, his red-streaked eyes toward the sky, and began his distinct advertising call.
That’s when researchers in the forest heard him.
Scientists were exploring the Western Amazonia region in the Requena Province of Peru, searching for frogs, according to a study published Feb. 7 in the journal Zootaxa. After sampling two areas, researchers found 14 specimens that could not be identified as an existing species.
That’s because the frogs belong to a new species: Scinax ushiniauae.
The new species belong to a group of frog species, Scinax cruentomma, researchers said. They were distinguished from other species by their “small” size, skin and eye color patters, and their distinct advertisement call.
Scientists examined one female and 13 males belonging to the new species. The male creatures ranged in size from about 0.8 inches to about 0.9 inches. The female specimen measured about 1 inch long.
Photos show the small, bright-eyed creatures.
The frogs have “golden light brown” rough skin on their backs with “scattered black or dark brown blotches of different sizes,” according to experts. The sides of their bodies are “light yellow” and have a brown “irregular line.”
Researchers said the frogs have “light green” limbs and an “immaculate” white abdomen. Their bones are “bluish green.”
The creatures have silvery bronze irises with a distinctive “horizontal red streak” and a red border around their pupil, scientists said.
Experts found the frogs in two forest environments, both with clay and white-sand soil.
Male specimens were found perched on vegetation near ponds and vocalizing, according to researchers. Their advertising call consists of a single pulsed note followed by one to three pulses.
The Requena Province is in northeast Peru, bordering Brazil.
This story was originally published February 9, 2024 at 1:21 PM with the headline "Forest creature — with ‘bluish green’ bones and red-streaked eyes — is a new species."
