Jakarta –
Scientists discover new species frog which has unique properties. They didn’t make a sound at all.
The newly identified frog species belongs to the genus Hyperolius. The animal is found in Tanzania.
“This is a very strange group of frogs,” said Dr. Lucinda Lawson, a conservation biologist from the University of Cincinnati, quoted from Sci.News.
“The male frogs don’t sound like normal frogs. We thought maybe they were using their spines as a kind of Braille for species recognition,” he continued.
Lawson said in the absence of sounds the frogs needed another way of recognizing one another. This group of frogs has only a few species and is found in small populations which makes them rare and endangered.
He confirmed, found frog of the group is a major conservation victory. The species name of this voiceless frog is Hyperolius ukaguruensis.
Has a Unique Body
Lawson said describing a species is the first step to protect an animal, especially in increasingly fragmented forests such as those in the Ukaguru Mountains.
Hyperolius ukaguruensis occurs in the Mamiwa-Kisara Northern Protected Forest, Tanzania, which is a ‘T-shaped forest remnant.
The voiceless frog’s body is also unique. They have eyes that are smaller than their heads, unlike other spiny reed frogs.
According to experts, Hyperolius ukaguruensis could be of high conservation concern.
Dr H Christoph Liedtke, a postdoctoral researcher at the Spanish National Research Council said knowing how many species are there and where they are is very important for conservation.
The Ukaguru Mountains are part of the Eastern Arc Rift, a place of great biodiversity with many endemic species. Unfortunately, the rapid population growth in Tanzania means that their montane forest habitat is increasingly under threat to humans.
Lawson explained, amphibians are very vulnerable to human impacts. This is because they absorb chemicals from their skin, making them susceptible to poisons or changes in the acidity of the water.
“If the bird’s habitat is damaged, sometimes they can fly to a new forest. However, it is difficult for the amphibians,” he said. He emphasized that having diverse species is essential to maintaining a healthy ecosystem.
Frogs are part of the food chain. They eat insects and are in turn eaten by other animals.
“If this one species goes extinct, we will lose another strand in the ecosystem network,” said Lawson. Research on findings frog The silence is published in the journal PLoS ONE.
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