‘Sharp buzz’ leads to silver-eyed creature perched high in tree. It’s a new species
Hiking through the darkened mountains of Papua New Guinea, scientists heard a “sharp buzz.” They followed the sound to a silver-eyed creature perched way up in a tree.
It turned out to be a new species.
Researchers visited the forested slopes of Hela Province in 2005 and 2008 to survey wildlife, according to a study published Aug. 15 in the peer-reviewed Salamandra German Journal of Herpetology. They were looking for amphibians in the mountains that are considered a biodiversity hot spot.
During the nighttime surveys, researchers found several unfamiliar-looking frogs calling from the trees, the study said. They captured a few of these animals and, taking a closer look, realized they’d discovered a new species: Choerophryne hageni, or Hagen’s frog.
Hagen’s frogs are considered “moderate”-sized, reaching just under an inch in length, the study said. They have “wide” heads, “short” snouts, “medium sized” tongues and “silvery” eyes.
A photo shows the tan-brown coloring of the new species. Overall, its skin has a bumpy texture. Patches of pale yellow and bright orange dot its back.
Researchers heard male Hagen’s frogs making a “short, distinctly pulsed buzz” sound. These calls sounded like a “sharp buzz” and “can last several minutes.”
Hagen’s frogs live in “extremely wet” and “mossy” mountain forests at elevations of roughly 6,700 feet, the study said. The frogs are tree-dwellers, typically found perched in trees up to 30 feet above the forest floor.
Researchers said they named the new species after Hagen of Tronje, a fictional character from the Nibelung Saga, a medieval epic poem. The name follows a decadeslong tradition of researchers naming “Choerophryne species after persons in the Nibelung Saga.”
So far, Hagen’s frogs have been found at two sites in Hela Province, the study said. This is an inland region of western Papua New Guinea, an island country north of Australia.
The new species was identified by its call, body shape, snout, coloring and other subtle physical features, the study said. Researchers did not provide a DNA analysis of the new species.
The research team included Rainer Günther and Stephen Richards. The team also discovered a second new species of frog: Choerophryne frieda.
This story was originally published September 4, 2024 at 5:17 AM with the headline "‘Sharp buzz’ leads to silver-eyed creature perched high in tree. It’s a new species."
