An international team of zoologists examined more than 500 specimens of frogs from the family Craugastoridae, collected in
As zoologists report in their work in the journalHerpetological Monographs, adults of each of the six species can fit on a small coin. The average body length of such frogs is about 15 mm, and adult males of the smallest of the species, Craugastor candelariensis, grow only up to 13 mm.
"The Frogs are an absolutely adorable group.animals. I spent many, many hours with magnifying glasses attached to my glasses, trying to understand the difference between them,” says Tom Jameson, co-author of the study from the University of Cambridge.
Photo: Jeffrey W. Streicher, University of Cambridge
All new species are characterized by direct development,scientists say. From the eggs of such amphibians, it is not tadpoles that hatch, but miniature adults, which only grow in the future, but do not change their shape.
“Their way of life is absolutely mesmerizing,”adds Jameson. “These frogs live in dark, damp, leaf litter forests that are like a secret world—we don't know anything about what's going on there. We don't understand their behavior, how they socialize or how they reproduce."
Researchers note that some of the newspecies are classified as microendemic. They live only in one small area, for example, on a hilltop in a certain part of Mexico. This localization makes frogs very vulnerable to climate change and other external factors. Zoologists are planning to work with the Mexican government to develop mechanisms for the protection of new species.
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