Biologists have discovered a new species of land-nesting tree frog Limnonectes Lives in Sulawesi, Indonesia. Adult body size is the smallest of all species. Limnonectes Island Frog – Maximum nostril length is approximately 3 cm (1.2 inches).

Limnonectes is a large genus of the fork-tongued frog family Dicroglossaceae.

This genus includes more than 75 scientifically recognized species. They are collectively known as fanged frogs because they tend to have unusually large teeth that are small or absent in other frogs.

They use their fangs to compete with each other for territory and mates, and sometimes hunt hard-shelled prey such as giant centipedes and crabs.

Limnonectes The species is distributed from India through China, Indochina, Thailand and the Malaysian Peninsula, to the Sunda Shelf landmass (Borneo, Sumatra, Java), the Marx Islands, the Lesser Sunda Islands, parts of western New Guinea, and the Philippines. .

Larger species prefer fast-flowing rivers, while smaller species live in fallen leaves or on riverbanks.

‘The reproductive biology of the yellow-throated frog is surprisingly complex,’ say researchers at the Field Museum of Natural History. Jeffrey Frederick and his colleagues.

“For example, the two Malay races Limnonectes hasianus and Limnonectes limborgii, together with larval ontogeny, demonstrate protection of terrestrial eggs by males. The larvae hatch as free-living tadpoles, but remain in a nest guarded by the male and survive solely on nutrition from the yolk sac. ”

“Four types of Limnonectes From Borneo, Limnonectes coulis, Limnonectes bruti, Limnonectes Ibanorumand Limnonectes ingeri They are “voiceless” and lack a vocal sac for advertising calls. ”

The name of the newly described species is Limnonectes phylofolialives on the island of Sulawesi, a rugged mountainous island that forms part of Indonesia.

“Sulawesi is a huge island with vast mountain ranges, volcanoes, lowland rainforests and mountain cloud forests,” Dr Frederick said.

“The existence of all these different habitats means that the scale of the biodiversity of many plants and animals we discover there is unrealistic, comparable to places like the Amazon.”

“Limnonectes phylofolia “It is small compared to other fanged frogs on the island where it has been found, about a quarter of the size,” he added.

“Many frogs in this genus are huge, weighing up to 2 pounds. This new species weighs, to put it simply, about the same as a dime.”

To the surprise of the research team, Limnonectes phylofolia All individuals caring for eggs were male.

“Male frogs guard one or more eggs garnished with leaves or moss-covered rocks 1 to 2 meters above slow-moving streams, rivulets, or leachate,” the researchers said. said.

“Such behavior is not completely unknown in all frogs, but it is rather rare.”

They hypothesize that the frog’s abnormal reproductive behavior may also be related to smaller-than-normal fangs.

“Some members of the frog family have larger tusks, which help them avoid competition for places to lay their eggs in the water along rivers,” the researchers said.

“Because these frogs have evolved a way to lay their eggs away from the water, they may have lost the need for such large, impressive fangs.”

“It is interesting that with each subsequent expedition to Sulawesi, new and diverse modes of reproduction are discovered,” concluded Dr. Frederick.

“Our findings also highlight the importance of protecting these very special tropical habitats.”

“Most of the animals that live in places like Sulawesi are very unique, and habitat destruction has always been a pressing conservation issue in order to preserve the great diversity of species found there. Masu.”

“Learning about animals like these frogs, which are found nowhere else on Earth, can help advocate for protecting these precious ecosystems.”

discovery of Limnonectes phylofolia is reported in paper in diary PLoS ONE.

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JH Frederick other. 2023. A new species of land-nesting tusked frog (Dicroglossidae) from Sulawesi, Indonesia. PLoS ONE 18 (12): e0292598; doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0292598