‘Slender’ swamp creature found guarding its eggs in Madagascar. It’s a new species
A pulsating sound floated through the humid landscape of Madagascar, beckoning nearby scientists to find the source.
The sound led them to a “slender” creature hidden in the plants around a swamp. It was a new species.
Researchers spent 18 years surveying and documenting wildlife in Madagascar, according to a study published July 25 in the journal Zootaxa. In the “arid” and “humid” landscape of the western and northwestern side of the island, an area near Isalo, they noticed a “relatively common” frog.
But taking a closer look at the animal, researchers discovered it had at least one notable quality: It was a new species of frog, Blommersia bara, the study said.
The Blommersia bara frog is “relatively small,” ranging from about 0.7 inches to about 1 inch in size, the study said. It has a “slender” body with a variety of patterns, primarily brownish or mustard yellow in color, photos show.
The frog has a “very short” and “rather simple” call with a single pulsating sound, researchers said. Male Blommersia bara frogs sit in plants near bodies of water and call night and day “during the rainy season.”
Research found Blommersia bara frogs in “areas of a certain humidity such as streams or swamps.” the study said. Frogs were spotted by “temporary rivers” and “swamps in the open savannah,” on the forest floor and in agricultural “paddy fields.”
Blommersia bara frogs were seen guarding their eggs on several occasions, researchers said. A photo shows this behavior, with the frog shielding the eggs with its body.
The new species was named “after the Bara people, the ethnic group living in the area of Madagascar” where the species was discovered, researchers said.
The Blommersia bara frog was identified as a new species based on its finger and toe webbing, head shape and gland structure, the study said. DNA analysis found the new species had between about 5% to about 8% genetic divergence from other known frog species.
Blommersia bara frogs were documented previously but misidentified as other species or not formally identified as any species, according to the study. Researchers said more research is needed to identify the frog’s distribution range.
Researchers also documented two other types of frog, a known species and a potentially new species that will require further research, the study said.
The research team included Miguel Vences, Malte Multzsch, Jörn Köhler, Angelica Crottini, Franco Andreone, Andolalao Rakotoarison, Mark Scherz and Frank Glaw.
This story was originally published August 4, 2023 at 10:10 AM with the headline "‘Slender’ swamp creature found guarding its eggs in Madagascar. It’s a new species."
