On the heels of the 10 new frog species discovered in Colombia, scientists have found approximately 200 new species of frogs in Madagascar.  In fact, the recent discovery may not be the last, according to Professor David R. Vieites, CSIC researcher at the Spanish National Natural Sciences Museum in Madrid:

“the diversity of species in Madagascar is far from being known and there is still a lot of scientific research to be done. Our data suggest that the number of new species of amphibians not only has been underestimated but it is spatially widespread, even in well studied areas. For example, two of the most visited and studied National parks, Ranomafana and Mantadía/Analamazaotra, harbour 31 and 10 new species respectively.”

This exciting discovery includes some pretty cool new frogs.

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Newly Discovered Frogs Madagascar, tree frogs

Researchers in Colombia have discovered ten new amphibian species, including three types of “glass frogs” known for their transparent skin.  The new species were found during a three-week study conducted by Conservation International and the Ecotropico Foundation in Columbia.

Besides the three glass frogs, scientists found three types of poison dart frogs, two new rain frogs, a harlequin frog, and a new type of salamander.  The new species are not believed to exist anywhere else in the world.  The scientists cited the study as a sign of hope for species facing extinction.

Jose Vicente Rodriguez-Mahecha, scientific director of Conservation International Colombia, said: “Without a doubt, this region is a true Noah’s Ark.

“The high number of new amphibian species is a sign of hope, even with the serious threat of extinction that this animal group faces in many other regions of the country and the world.”

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Newly Discovered Frogs Columbia, glass frog, harlequin frog, Poison Dart Frog, rain frog

Researcher Dr. Sathyabhama Das Biju and his team at the University of Delhi have been able to capture video footage of the newly-discovered purple frog.  This frog is rarely seen above ground, so capturing any footage of this frog is obviously quite difficult.

This is a funny frog.  As you will see in the footage, it has a tiny head, runs instead of hops, and sounds more like a dog than a frog.   In fact, it seems to look more like a penguin than a frog!

The purple frog was discovered in 2003 and is considered an endangered species. Read more…

Newly Discovered Frogs purple frog