New Tree Frog Species Discovered in Madagascar's Ankarafa Forest
Posted on August 18, 2014
Scientists have discovered a new species of tree frog in Madagascar. The new species, Boophis ankarafensis, belongs to the Boophis rappiodes group. It lives near the banks of hidden streams in the Ankarafa Forest. It does not reside in the eastern rainforest belt of Madagascar like other Boophis species.
Scientists describe the new species as having a high genetic divergence. The green frog has a bright red marking across its head and back. The new tree frog species also has a unique call consisting of a trill and a triple click. Related tree frogs in Madagascar only have two-pulsed clicks in their calls. The trill note of the new species is also faster pulsed than the others.
The image above shows the habitat of the frog in the Ankarafa Forest. The researchers say the new species should be classified as critically endangered with slash and burn agriculture representing the most serious threat to the frogs through habitat destruction. A research paper is published here in ZooKeys.