IT House reported on December 23 that biologists recently discovered a new species of terrestrial nesting fanged frog genus Limnonectes on the island of Sulawesi, Indonesia, which is the world's smallest "fanged" frog and named it Limnonectes phyllofolia.
The new species discovered this time has the smallest adult size of all Limnonectes genus, with a maximum nostril length (SVL) of about 3 cm (1.2 inches).
Note: Nostril length (SVL) is a morphological measurement in herpetology from the tip of the nostril to the rearmost opening (hole) of the cloaca. This is the most common measurement in reptilology and is suitable for all amphibians, lepidosaurs, and crocodiles.
Limnonectes is a large genus of fork-tongued frogs in the family Dicroglossidae, and there is currently a consensus that there are 75 species in the genus, collectively known as the fanged frog, which likes to use their tusks to compete for territory and mates, and sometimes even prey on hard prey such as giant centipedes and crabs.
Jeff Frederick, lead author of the study and a postdoctoral fellow at the Field Museum in Chicago, USA, said:
Compared to the other toothed frogs on the island where it was found, this new species is small, estimated to be only a quarter in one.
Many frogs of this genus are huge, weighing up to 1.8 catty. And the weight of this new species is about the same as a penny coin.
Further research has shown that not only are they small members of the fanged frog family, but the frogs responsible for caring for a nest of eggs are all males. "It's pretty rare," Frederick said.
The address of the reference paper is attached
-
J.H. Frederick et al. 2023. A new species of terrestrially-nesting fanged frog (Anura: Dicroglossidae) from Sulawesi Island, Indonesia. PLoS ONE 18 (12): e0292598;
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0292598