‘Large’-eyed swamp creatures found mating in Indonesia. They’re a new species
In a mountainous swamp of Indonesia, a “marbled” creature sought out a mate. Its “large” yellow eyes scanned the surrounding foliage, but it wasn’t the only one searching.
Visiting scientists noticed the “slender”-limbed animals — and discovered a new species.
Researchers hiked up two mountains on Sulawesi Island in 2016 and 2017 as part of an ongoing project to survey wildlife, according to a study published Jan. 14 in the peer-reviewed journal Zootaxa. Their almost decade-long project focused on documenting the island’s reptiles and amphibians.
During the hikes, researchers found over 20 unfamiliar-looking frogs, the study said. They took a closer look at the animals and quickly realized they’d discovered a new species: Rhacophorus boeadii, or Boeadi’s tree frog.
Boeadi’s tree frogs are considered “medium”-sized, reaching just over 2 inches in length, the study said. They have “slender” limbs, “coarsely granular” skin and “pointed” snouts. Their “large” eyes are “gold.”
A photo shared on X, formerly known as Twitter, by Zootaxa shows the new species.
Generally, Boeadi’s tree frogs are “olive green marbled with dark brown,” but some frogs had more brown tones, researchers said.
Boeadi’s tree frogs were heard calling, found mating in swamps and seen perched on trees at elevations of at least 3,300 feet, the study said. Researchers also found “numerous foam nests” from the new species.
Amir Hamidy, one of the study’s co-authors, shared photos of the new species and its namesake on Instagram.
Researchers said they named the new species after the “late Drs. Boeadi,” an “Indonesian herpetologist, mammalogist, (and) naturalist” whose “contributions to the advancement of zoological sciences in Indonesia have left a lasting impact.”
So far, Boeadi’s tree frogs have been found at two mountains on Sulawesi Island, the study said. Sulawesi is a moderately large island in central Indonesia, south of the Philippines and north of Australia.
The new species was identified by its call, body size, snout shape, coloring, skin texture and other subtle physical features, the study said. DNA analysis found the new species had at least 3% genetic divergence from other related frogs.
The research team included Amir Hamidy, Awal Riyanto, Misbahul Munir, Ade Damara Gonggoli, Wahyu Trilaksono and Jimmy McGuire.
This story was originally published January 21, 2025 at 9:49 AM with the headline "‘Large’-eyed swamp creatures found mating in Indonesia. They’re a new species."
