Pink-throated creature — with ‘stocky’ body — is a new species in Vietnam. Take a look
Frogs can be sticky, slimy or wet. Some have webbing connecting their toes while others rely on circular toe pads to keep a grip on leaves and logs. They come in all shapes and sizes, and exist around the world.
Researchers were on the hunt for some of these jumping creatures when they traveled to the evergreen forest mountains of northern Vietnam, according to a study published Aug. 20 in the Russian Journal of Herpetology.
As they reached 7,500 feet above sea level, they came upon a small puddle that was “created by a small stream of water flowing along a large rock,” according to the study.
Perched nearby was a one-inch-long frog, unlike any other species discovered, researchers said.
The animal had V-shaped markings down its back and distinctly separated toes, according to the study, and researchers identified it as a new species.
Leptobrachella aurantirosea, named after its orangish-pink color background color, is a species of leaf-litter frog, researchers said.
The frog has a “stocky” and medium-sized build and its snout projects slightly over its lower jaw, according to the study.
L. aurantirosea’s tongue is “large” and “broad,” researchers said, and its legs are robust leading to rounded fingertips.
From the area between the eyes on the back of the head and down the frog’s back, gray patches with a V shape connect to thicker brown stripes on the legs.
The frog’s throat is “pinkish-white” with gray speckling, and the bottom of the legs are “pinkish orange with some cream spots,” researchers said.
“Most of the species in the genus Leptobrachella which are currently known are only recorded from one or two sample sites, thus pointing to a very restricted, narrow distribution of each species,” according to the study. “This at the same time points to a possibly high number of still unrecorded species diversity in the genus.”
Researchers said the new species brings the total count of Leptobrachella frogs in the area to 32, and they are found in various elevations in northern Vietnam. Environmental separation in the mountains may account for most of the divergence in species, researchers said.
The frogs were discovered in Ha Giang Province, Vietnam, just south of the border with China.
The research team includes Hoa Thi Ninh, Tao Thien Nguyen, Linh Tu Hoang Le, Thanh Vinh Nguyen, Huy Nguyen Quoc, Nikolai L. Orlov, Olga Bezman-Moseyko, Manh Van Le, Sang Ngoc Nguyen and Thomas Ziegler.
This story was originally published August 26, 2024 at 3:01 PM with the headline "Pink-throated creature — with ‘stocky’ body — is a new species in Vietnam. Take a look."
