Elusive mountain creature with bumpy eyelids found in Brazil. It’s a new species
On a remote mountain in northern Brazil, an elusive creature with bumpy eyelids called from under a plant. Its pulsating call was intended to attract a mate but ended up attracting visiting scientists.
The difficult-to-find animal turned out to be a new species.
Researchers ventured up the “virtually unexplored” Imeri mountain in November 2022 to survey the area’s relatively isolated wildlife, according to a study published Sept. 25 in the peer-reviewed journal Zootaxa.
During the roughly weeklong expedition, researchers heard a unique call and traced the sound to a small frog, the study said. They captured several of these unfamiliar-looking frogs and, after taking a closer look, realized they’d discovered a new species: Neblinaphryne imeri, or the Imeri frog.
Imeri frogs are considered “minute,” reaching less than an inch in length, the study said. They have “short,” “rounded” snouts, “copper” eyes and bumpy eyelids. Their bodies are relatively “smooth.”
Photos show the brown coloring of the new species. Its body has a dark brown hue with a heavy scattering of white spots and a few black patches. Underneath, its belly has several “bright orange” blotches. The pattern appears to help it blend in with its surroundings.
Imeri frogs live on a mountain above elevations of 5,900 feet, researchers said. They seem “quite abundant” but are “very difficult to locate and capture.”
Male frogs were found calling from under plants, “deep inside the layers of moss” and even a tarantula burrow, the study said. Females were found nearby, “possibly attracted by the calling male.”
Researchers said they named the new species after the Imeri mountain where it was discovered and, so far, the only place where it has been found. This peak, also known as Serra do Imeri, is part of the Pantepui mountains in Brazil and along the border with Venezuela.
The new species was identified by its DNA, skeleton, body shape, coloring, eyelids, head shape and other subtle physical features, the study said.
The research team included Antoine Fouquet, Leandro Moraes, Taran Grant, Renato Recoder, Agustín Camacho, José Mário Ghellere, Alexandre Barutel, Miguel Trefaut Rodrigues
This story was originally published September 30, 2024 at 1:24 PM with the headline "Elusive mountain creature with bumpy eyelids found in Brazil. It’s a new species."
