‘Cryptic’ creature — able to alter its coloring — found in forest. It’s a new species
Perched in a forest of Peru, a “cryptic” creature let out a series of “pulses.” The sounds blurred together but reached the ears of nearby scientists.
The calling animal turned out to be a new species.
Researchers visited several sites in South America between 2008 and 2019 as part of a large-scale survey of wildlife, according to a study published May 16 in the peer-reviewed journal Zoosystematics and Evolution. The survey focused on a group of frogs, known as Pristimantis frogs, with a “chaotic” history of being misidentified.
Previous studies had identified a group of “cryptic” Pristimantis frogs in Peru and Bolivia that were genetically distinct and being mistaken for other species. Researchers decided to follow these “clues” into the forest, the study said.
Their plan worked.
Researchers found several tannish brown frogs and realized they’d discovered a new species: Pristimantis asimus, or the nameless robber frog.
Nameless robber frogs are considered “medium-sized,” reaching up to 1.5 inches in size, the study said. They have textured bodies, “bluntly rounded” snouts and “long and slender” toes.
Photos show the “light brown” coloring of a nameless robber frog and its “darker brown chevron-shaped” markings. Its belly is “creamy white,” and its eyes are “bronze” with a “turquoise tint” along the outside.
Nameless robber frogs have “some limited ability to change color,” researchers said. A pair of photos show the same frog’s altered coloring between night and day. The most noticeable spot is along its jawline, which alternates between creamy white and dark brownish-black.
Researchers said they named the new species after the Greek word “ásimos,” meaning “‘inconspicuous” or “nameless,” because of its “cryptic” coloring and history of being misidentified.
Nameless robber frogs were found on trees and bushes in forests, the study said. At dusk and dawn, males were heard calling in “pulses” that “largely fused” together.
So far, the new species has been found from central Peru to northern Bolivia, the study said. The new species “most likely” lives in Brazil, but researchers have not confirmed this.
The new species was identified by its body shape, texture, coloring, call and other subtle physical features, the study said. DNA analysis found the new species had at least 7% genetic divergence from other related frogs.
The research team included Jörn Köhler, Frank Glaw, César Aguilar-Puntriano, Santiago Castroviejo-Fisher, Juan Chaparro, Ignacio De la Riva, Giussepe Gagliardi-Urrutia, Roberto Gutiérrez, Miguel Vences and José Padial.
This story was originally published May 17, 2024 at 11:38 AM with the headline "‘Cryptic’ creature — able to alter its coloring — found in forest. It’s a new species."
