Mountain creature — with visible green bones — found in Ecuador. It’s a new species
In a mountain forest of Ecuador, a colorful creature with visible green bones perched on a leaf several feet off the ground. Something about the animal caught the attention of visiting scientists — and for good reason.
It turned out to be a new species.
Researchers ventured into the remote Kutukú Cordillera several times in 2018 as part of a wildlife survey, according to a study published July 8 in the peer-reviewed journal Zoosystematics and Evolution. They were searching for amphibians and reptiles.
During the visits, researchers found a pair of brightly colored frogs, the study said. They took a closer look and soon realized they’d discovered a new species: Centrolene kutuku, or the Kutukú glassfrog.
Kutukú glassfrogs are considered “small,” reaching just under an inch in length, the study said. They have “rounded” snouts, “cream” eyes with gray markings and bumpy skin.
A photo shows the vivid coloring of a Kutukú glassfrog. Seen from above, it has a glossy lime green body with lemon yellow hues on its appendages.
Like other glassfrogs, the new species has visible green bones, researchers said. Seen from below, the frog’s leg bones look almost like plant stems. The rest of its underside is semi-transparent, a photo shows.
Kutukú glassfrogs live in mountain forests at elevations of about 7,400 feet, the study said. One frog was found calling from a leaf about 6 feet off the ground. Another was found perched on a leaf about 10 feet off the ground near a “black water stream.”
”Glassfrogs are beautiful amphibians with a huge species diversity in the Andes,” co-author Diego Cisneros-Heredia told McClatchy News.
Researchers said they named the new species after the Kutukú Cordillera where it was discovered and, so far, the only area where it has been found. This mountain range is in southeastern Ecuador and near the border with Peru.
“Because collections in Kutukú have been limited, the distribution of the species is likely to be larger,” the study said.
The new species was identified by its DNA, teeth, skin texture, body shape, coloring and other subtle physical features, the study said.
“These data allowed us to conclude that it was a new species,” Cisneros-Heredia said, “and actually belonged to a quite special evolutionary group because its members inhabit both sides of the Andes (which is quite amazing, taking into consideration that the Andes are very high and both sides have been isolated by millions of years). “
The research team included Santiago Ron, Dominike García, David Brito-Zapata, Carolina Reyes-Puig, Elías Figueroa-Coronel and Diego Cisneros-Heredia.
This story was originally published July 9, 2024 at 8:12 AM with the headline "Mountain creature — with visible green bones — found in Ecuador. It’s a new species."
