Bamboo-dwelling creature — with ‘large’ multicolored eyes — discovered as new species
In a bamboo forest of southwestern China, a spotted creature perched on a plant. Its “large,” multicolored eyes scanned the surrounding landscape, but it wasn’t the only one looking.
Passing scientists noticed the animal — and discovered a new species.
Researchers visited Xishui County several times in 2018 as part of a large-scale wildlife survey. The provinces surrounding the county are “well-known biodiversity hotspots,” according to a study published Feb. 4 in the peer-reviewed journal Zoosystematics and Evolution.
During the surveys, researchers found several unfamiliar-looking frogs, the study said. Intrigued, they captured a few and, after taking a closer look, realized they’d discovered a new species: Leptobrachella xishuiensis, or the Xishui leaf-litter toad.
Xishui leaf-litter toads are considered “moderate”-sized, reaching about 1.5 inches in length, the study said. They have textured bodies with bumps and raised ridges. Their limbs are “slender” with “slightly swollen” fingers and toes. Their “large” eyes are part copper and part silver.
Photos show the “greyish-brown” coloring of the new species. Black blotches dot its sides, and it has “an inverted triangle marking between (its) eyes,” researchers said.
Seen from below, the frog’s belly is “purplish-grey,” the study said and a photo shows.
Xishui leaf-litter toads live in bamboo forests at elevations of about 5,250 feet, the study said. The frogs were seen near a stream and perched on leaves about 4 feet off the ground.
Researchers said they named the new species after the county where it was discovered and, so far, the only place where it has been found. Xishui County is in Guizhou province of southwestern China and a roughly 1,250-mile drive southwest from Beijing.
The new species was identified by its DNA, body size, coloring, the shape of its fingers and toes, skin texture and other subtle physical features, the study said.
The research team included Tao Luo, Zi-Fa Zhao, Zhong-Lian Wang, Chang-Ting Lan, Ming-Yuan Xiao, Huai-Qing Deng, Ning Xiao and Jiang Zhou.
This story was originally published February 5, 2025 at 1:04 PM with the headline "Bamboo-dwelling creature — with ‘large’ multicolored eyes — discovered as new species."
