Recently discovered in the mountains of Vietnam, the orange-eyed litter toad is brown, small and spotted, much like some of its closest cousins ... which is probably why it's remained undiscovered for so long. Its signature call is also very similar to that of a cricket, tricking biologists into overlooking it in their search for froggy finds. But the amphibian does have one rather distinctive feature: a set of blazing orange eyes!
It was the little toad’s fiery attributes that drew the attention of the Russian researchers who originally discovered it in southern Vietnam. They, in turn, called upon Dr Jodi Rowley from the Australian Museum Research Institute in order to tap into her knowledge of litter frogs.
Dr Rowley labels her love for litter frogs as more of an 'obsession'. She explains on the museum’s blog: “In recent years, I’ve become slightly obsessed with small brown frogs that live in the leaf litter on the forest floor of Southeast Asia (Leptolalax species). In part, perhaps because they are the little frogs that often don’t get paid much attention, but mostly because they are likely in a lot of trouble from habitat loss.”
Litter frogs live in the layers of dead leaves and other debris found on forest floors. At night, the males can be found hanging out in and around rivers and streams, singing their hearts out with cricket-like vocalisations.
The number of species in the family makes identification quite tough. To prove that her latest flame was, in fact, a species all on its own, Dr Rowley had to compare it to similar frogs. Male advertisement calls, DNA, body measurements, colour and patterns were all compared to prove that the hopper was a new species. It was promptly named after its brightly coloured eyes.
But with the discovery comes an immediate need for conservation. The natural habitat of the species makes the toads more difficult to find, and also exposes them to threats from deforestation: fewer trees means less leaf litter for these tiny amphibians to live in.
"The new frog is under threat from habitat loss, as is the case with many species of amphibians (and other biodiversity) in the region. Its discovery is the first step towards what we hope will be the start of its conservation," says Rowley.
Top header image: DijutalTim, Flickr
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