New species of glowing pumpkin toadlet discovered in Brazil, see pics

A teeny, tangerine hued, fluorescent frog has recently been discovered in Brazil’s Atlantic Forest. Officially named Brachycephalus rotenbergae, the amphibian is a type of pumpkin toadlet. The discovery is being considered significant amidst ongoing efforts to conserve biodiversity in the South American state.

The team which found the species consisted of herpetologists from Sao Paulo State University. Elaborating on the same, study leader Ivan Sergio Nunes Silva stated, “the best moment to be a scientist is when you are looking at something new and you are the only person who knows.” The team has revealed further details about the toadlet in their study published in the journal PLOS ONE.

Unique features

According to the study, Nunes Silva and his team found B. rotenbergae during 76 field surveys between 2018 and 2019 in the 6,500-foot-high Mantiqueira Mountains, spending hours roaming rocky outcrops and streams that flow through the forests. They then compared its DNA to that of previously described pumpkin toadlets. They also analyzed its physical features and bone structure, its behaviour, and recordings of its mating calls to determine that it was a new species. For instance, the new species was characterized by rare features such as black pastern on its skin and underdeveloped ears. Additionally,  the new pumpkin toadlet was also smaller than other known toadlets, with a more diminutive snout.

Image Credits: PLOS ONE

Brazil, which houses the Amazon rainforests, boasts of the largest amphibians population in the world. Additionally, it also ranks third when it comes to reptiles. A few months ago, scientists discovered a new species of venomous amphibians called ringed Caecilian or siphonops annulatus in Brazil. As per the research published in journal iScience , a group of researchers from Brazil and the United States has stated that these creatures reside in self-made burrows and produce two different types of secretion -- mucus in their head and a snake-like poison in their tail end. 

Image Credits: PLOS ONE