Latest news with #Brevicepsbatrachophiliorum
Mail & Guardian
10-06-2025
- Science
- Mail & Guardian
New species of rain frog discovered in SA
Breviceps batrachophiliorum. In the damp, grassy slopes of the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands, an unassuming amphibian has leapt into the scientific spotlight. Named Breviceps batrachophiliorum – Latin for 'frog-loving people' – this newly described species of rain frog is a triumph of taxonomy and a compelling example of the intersection of citizen science and academic rigour. Professor Louis du Preez of the North-West University (NWU) led the discovery, drawing on his long and distinguished career as a herpetologist. The breakthrough came thanks to three passionate frog enthusiasts: Nick Evans, Dylan Leonard and Cormack Price. They set out on a mission to spot and document every frog in Prof du Preez's field guide. One night, after some heavy rain, they set out to find the elusive Bilbo's rain frog (Breviceps bagginsi), named after Bilbo Baggins, from The Lord of the Rings, who also lived in a hole in the ground. When they found what they believed to be a Bilbo's rain frog, they sent a photograph and an accompanying call recording to Prof du Preez. 'There was something curious,' recalls Prof du Preez. 'I thought they had mixed up the images and the sounds. But when I pointed this out, they sent a video, and that's when I realised that we were looking at a new species.' What followed was a meticulous analysis process, detailed in the African Journal of Herpetology. The team employed an integrative approach, blending morphology, genetics and, crucially, bioacoustics. The frog's call, a vital identifier in such a visually cryptic genus, diverged sharply from those of its closest relatives. Genetically, it showed a 7.5% difference in mitochondrial 16S rRNA compared to Breviceps verrucosus. This clear signal indicated that this frog was not only new to science, but also worthy of its own species status. Though short-limbed, round-bodied and earth-toned, B. batrachophiliorum is far from plain. Its eardrum is unusually visible, a rare feature among its kin, and the position of its mouth sets it apart from B. verrucosus. In acoustic terms, its calls are shorter, faster and more frequent than those of similar species. Such subtleties are crucial in frog courtship and therefore in species recognition. Prof du Preez and his co-authors, EC Netherlands and LR Minter, also stress the importance of this discovery for conservation. With an occupancy area of just 1 108 km², this frog's habitat is largely restricted to three types of mistbelt grassland in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands. Although some populations occur within protected areas such as the Clairmont Nature Reserve, the species' limited range raises concerns about its vulnerability to habitat destruction and climate change. This tale is about more than just taxonomy. It is also a cautionary tale about the fragility of ecological knowledge. The new frog was once misidentified as Bilbo's rain frog (Breviceps bagginsi), a mistake with far-reaching consequences. The description of the new species means that Bilbo's rain frog is now only known to exist in one population in a highly transformed area, and as a result, its conservation status jumped to critically endangered. With the correction in place, the true distribution range of both species can be assessed more accurately. This is a small but vital victory for conservation science. Importantly, the discovery highlights a broader trend. Since 2000, over a third of Breviceps species have been described, a surge largely driven by advances in molecular biology and acoustic analysis. South Africa, with its rich and still unfolding biodiversity, is at the heart of this amphibian renaissance. Ultimately, Breviceps batrachophiliorum is more than just another new name in a long list. It serves as a reminder that discovery still hides in plain sight, and that with enough passion, patience and a bit of rain, even the quietest calls can be heard. • Follow the link to the article here:
Miami Herald
27-05-2025
- Science
- Miami Herald
Friends pull over to listen to frog calls and discover grumpy-looking new species
As an electrical storm hit a small town in eastern South Africa, wildlife expert Nick Evans drove past a field in KwaZulu-Natal Province. He said he and two friends pulled over after hearing the calls of rain frogs driven from their burrows by the storm's heavy rain, according to a May 21 Facebook post. Believing they heard the calls of the elusive Braviceps bagginsi, or Bilbo's rain frog, they scoured the field for the hard-to-find amphibians. Despite having a nearly identical call to the species they were searching for, the frogs didn't look like Braviceps bagginsi. The group recorded the frog's calls that day in September 2018 to share with experts including Louis de Preez and Les Minter, but the audio quality was too poor to analyze, according to a May 19 study published in the African Journal of Herpetology. In 2023, researcher Louis du Preez returned to the field in Boston and collected specimens to determine if they were Bilbo's rain frogs, according to the study. Analysis of their anatomy and vocalization patterns revealed that the frogs Evans and his friends heard nearly seven years before belonged to a new species called Breviceps batrachophiliorum, according to the study. Breviceps batrachophiliorum, or the Boston rain frog, is characterized by an 'extremely abbreviated' snout, a narrow down-turned mouth that gives the species a distinct frowning expression, and short limbs that don't extend beyond the outline of its rounded body, according to the study. The new species name means 'frog-loving-people,' given as an homage to Evans and his friends who helped identify the new species, the study said, as well as for 'the many herpetologists and other nature-lovers who submitted data to the Southern African Frog Atlas Project.' Researchers said the discovery casts doubt on whether Bilbo's rain frog ever existed in the region. 'This finding means that the Bilbo's Rain Frog's conservation status jumps from being listed as vulnerable, to critically endangered, as we now know their range does not extend from where they do occur, Babanango, to the Midlands,' Evans said in a Facebook post. 'A big range reduction.' The researcher team included Louis du Preez, Edward Netherlands and Les Minter. Boston, South Africa, is about a 320-mile drive southeast from Johannesburg.
