Latest news with #AnnemarieOhler
Miami Herald
20 hours ago
- Science
- Miami Herald
‘Large' creature with spines on its belly found at waterfall. It's a new species
As night settled across northern Vietnam, a 'large' creature with spines on its belly sat near a waterfall. Its 'dark green' eyes scanned the surrounding forest, but it wasn't the only one looking around. Visiting scientists spotted the 'stout' animal — and discovered a new species. A team of researchers hiked into the forests of three provinces in Vietnam several times between 2012 and 2021 to survey wildlife, according to a study published June 5 in the peer-reviewed journal ZooKeys. During their searches, researchers found several vaguely familiar-looking frogs, the study said. When they took a closer look at the animals and analyzed their DNA, the team noticed several distinctive features and realized they'd discovered a new species: Quasipaa ohlerae, or Ohler's spiny frog. Ohler's spiny frogs are considered 'large,' reaching over 4 inches in length, the study said. Their bodies are 'very stout' with 'rough' skin, 'short' arms and 'swollen' toes. Their 'enlarged' heads have 'dark green' eyes and a heart-shaped tongue. Photos show the new species. Seen from above, the frog is dark brown with pale brown stripes on its limbs. Seen from below, its belly is 'immaculate white' with 'black spines' on its upper chest, throat and arms, the study said. Ohler's spiny frogs were found at night in forests around 'the headwaters of rocky streams,' either 'in the water or on the ground of stream banks,' researchers said. Female frogs had 'yellowish cream eggs.' Researchers said they named the new species after 'colleague and friend' Annemarie Ohler, 'in recognition of her great contributions towards a better understanding of the amphibian systematics of the Indochinese region.' So far, Ohler's spiny frogs have been found in the three nearby provinces of Nghe An, Son La and Thanh Hoa in northern Vietnam along the border with Laos, the study said. The new species may also live in Laos, Thailand and China. The new species was identified by its size, skin texture, belly spines, coloring, eyes, toe shape and other subtle physical features, the study said. DNA analysis found the new species had at least about 3% genetic divergence from other related species. The research team included Cuong The Pham, Chung Van Hoang, Tien Quang Phan, Anh Van Pham, An Vinh Ong, Vien Hong Thi Nguyen, Thomas Ziegler and Truong Quang Nguyen. The team also discovered a second new species: Binh's spiny frog.
Miami Herald
08-05-2025
- Science
- Miami Herald
‘Large'-headed creature with spiny skin found on Nepal peak. It's a new species
Thousands of feet up on a mountain in Nepal sat a 'large'-headed creature with spiny skin. Its remote home and general appearance largely helped it go unnoticed and, when occasionally found, be misidentified. But, as some determined scientists recently discovered, it turned out to be a new species. A team of researchers set out to document wildlife in the Himalayas, 'one of the world's most biologically diverse regions' and an 'increasingly threatened' landscape, according to a study published May 6 in the peer-reviewed European Journal of Taxonomy. Researchers focused on a group of frogs known as lazy toads that are native to the Himalayas, the study said. They scoured museum archives, tested the DNA of preserved specimens and tracked down matching animals in remote areas of Nepal. Slowly, a pattern emerged; the frogs from Nepal's Khumbu region were distinctly and consistently different from any known species. Researchers realized they'd discovered a new species: Scutiger khumbu, or the Khumbu Himal lazy toad. Khumbu Himal lazy toads are considered 'medium'-sized, reaching over 2 inches in length, the study said. They have 'large and flat' heads with 'short' snouts, 'oval' tongues and 'large' black eyes. Their legs are 'long,' and their skin is covered in 'distinct' bumps with hard tips and, sometimes, one or two spines. Photos show the coloring of the new species, which is generally brown but 'can vary substantially from light to dark brown and even to olive.' Seen from below, the toads have a 'melon-yellow' belly with 'irregular gray-brown' markings. Khumbu Himal lazy toads were found in mountain forests at elevations of about 9,200 to 12,800 feet, the study said. Much about their lifestyle, diet and behavior remains unknown. Researchers said they named the new species after the Khumbu region of northeastern Nepal, 'also called the Everest region,' where it was first discovered and, so far, the only area where it has been found. The new species was identified by its DNA, body size, teeth, head shape, finger and toe shape, skin texture and coloring, the study said. Researchers considered some populations of the new species to be a new sub-species because of their visual similarity but genetic divergence. The research team included Sylvia Hofmann, Annemarie Ohler, Chitra Baniya, Alain Dubois, Morris Flecks, Daniel Jablonski, Joachim Schmidt and Christophe Dufresnes. The team said their research shows 'the remarkable amphibian diversity within Himalayan cloud forests, suggesting that they may harbor even more undiscovered (species).'
