Hungarian researcher discovers new species

New species was discovered by Dr. Judit Vörös, curator of the Hungarian Natural History Museum, 24.hu reports. The new species is called Phyllodytes amadoi, and it is a species of Phyllodytes belonging to the genus of tree-frogs (Hylidae). The new species was discovered in the Atlantic Rainforest in Brazil.

Dr. Judit Vörös is the curator of the Hungarian Natural History Museum and senior curator of the Collection of Amphibians and Reptiles. She is an internationally known expert of the tree-fog genus (Hylidae). She travelled to the city of Ilhéus, Brazil, to discover a new species of tree-frogs.

Tree-frogs are active at night, so the research group led by Vörös was working at night, investigating an isolated part of the Atlantic Forest with the help of flashlights. The team had been searching for weeks before they came across this little guy.

Phyllodytes amadoi
Photo: Konrad Mebert

The team was paying close attention to Bromelia leaves, because the foliage in most Bromelioids are spined and they grow to form a rosette where water is caught and stored. These small bodies of water form distinct ecosystems, providing homes for many animals, plants and fungus. The first Phyllodytes amadoi was discovered sitting on such a leaf.

What we know about the Phyllodytes amadoi

• it belongs to the genus of tree-frogs (Hylidae), it is amphibian
• it is the smallest species within the genus of tree-frogs
• it grows up to 2 cm
• females put their eggs into the water stored in the Bromelia leaves, and this is where tadpoles turn into frogs
• presumably, grown frogs live their whole within a 150 m range

Although, the number of the Phyllodytes amadoi population and the range they live is still under investigation, experts are pessimistic about the future of the species.

The Atlantic Forest is constantly being divided into smaller, isolated parts due to human activity, which is harmful for the animals of the forest.

Animal populations are separated, they live in smaller communities, and they cannot really migrate to another part of the forest if their current habitat becomes unfavourable. These are long-term problems that threaten even the tree-frogs who live their whole life within a 150 m range.

Frogs are amphibians which is the most vulnerable group of animals. There are 7500 known amphibian species, and the population of half of these species have decreased and one third of them are endangered.

Source: www.24.hu