by Scientists in Ecuador have discovered a newly discovered brook species frog with pale pink eyes and gold flecked toes that look like they came straight out of Middle-earth. That’s why the scientists who discovered it gave it its name Hyloscirtus tolkieni after JRR Tolkien, the author of the books “The Hobbit” and “The Lord of the Rings”.
“The new species of frog has wonderful colors and seems to live in a universe of fantasy, as created by Tolkien.” Diego F. Cisneros-Heredia (opens in a new tab)director of the Museum of Zoology of the Universidad San Francisco de Quito (USFQ) and assistant researcher at the National Institute of Biodiversity in Ecuador, said in a statement (opens in a new tab).
The researchers describe the “Lord of the Rings” frog in a study published on January 19 in the journal ZooKeys (opens in a new tab). H. tolkieni is 2.6 inches long (6.5 centimeters) and gray-green in color. Black spots dot the golden-yellow throat, belly, flanks and underside of legs. The frog’s fingers and toes are also covered in black spots and wide strips of skin. The creature boasts an arresting pair of dusty pink eyes with black irises, which reminded scientists of the alien beasts of their beloved author’s fantasy worlds.
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Scientists discovered H. tolkieni in the Río Negro-Sopladora National Park, a largely unstudied area of pristine páramo (alpine tundra) and cloud forest protected since 2018 and covering more than 185,000 acres (75,000 hectares). Like other species of brook frog, this reptile lives in the clear mountain rivers and streams of the high Andes. Tadpoles mature near rocks in the rapids, while adult brook frogs prefer the protection of lush vegetation on the river bank.
“For several weeks we explored different areas of the Río Negro-Sopladora National Park, going from páramo grasslands at an altitude of 3,100 meters to forests at 1,000 m (3.3 thousand feet). We found a single individual of this new species of frog, which we found impressive because of its color and large size,” Juan Carlos Sánchez Nivicela (opens in a new tab)also an associate scientist at the Museum of Zoology at USFQ and the National Institute of Biodiversity, the statement said.
Scientific expeditions in this region of Ecuador have led to the discovery of a large number of new species since 2020.
“The tropical Andes are magical ecosystems where some of the most amazing species of flora, fungi and fauna in the world are present,” said Cisneros-Heredia. “Unfortunately, few areas are well protected from negative impacts caused by humans. Deforestationunsustainable expansion of agriculture, mining, invasive speciesand climate change is seriously affecting the biodiversity of the Andes.”
As a result, 57% of amphibian species in Ecuador are at risk of extinction, according to the statement.
