The frog has a spiny back and belongs to the genus “osteocephalus”, a species that inhabits the natural park located on the eastern slopes of the Peruvian Andes in the Amazon River basin.
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Croa croa. A scientific team has discovered a new species of frog, named Osteocephalus vasquezi, in a reserve in the central jungle of Peru, the National Service of Natural Areas Protected by the State (Sernanp) said on Friday July 7.
The frog has a spiny back and belongs to the genus Osteocephalus, a species that inhabits the natural park located on the eastern slopes of the Peruvian Andes in the Amazon River Basin, in the central Peruvian jungle.
“Chocolate Brown Spots and Dots”
The new species stands out “by its cream-colored belly, with chocolate brown spots and spots, and its tadpole has a very large mouth”. According to scientists, it is a sister species to Osteocephalus mimeticus, which is endemic to the Peruvian Andes and inhabits the montane rainforest ecosystem. This new species was discovered in the province of Oxapampa, at altitudes between 1,000 and 1,150 meters.
According to research, Osteocephalus vasquezi diverged from its sister species in the early Pleistocene, around 2.5 million years ago. Scientists from the Rainforest Partnership, the Peruvian Institute of Herpetology and the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador participated in this discovery.