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 basin of the Amazon River.
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Croa croa. A scientific team has discovered a new species of frog, named Osteocephalus vasqueziin a reserve in the central jungle of Peru, the National Service of Natural Areas Protected by the State said on Friday July 7.
The frog has a spiny back and belongs to the genus Osteocephalusa 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 dots, and its tadpole has a very large mouth”described the scientists. According to them, it is a sister species to theOsteocephalus mimeticus, endemic to the Peruvian Andes and inhabiting 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, theOsteocephalus vasquezi diverged from its sister species in the early Pleistocene, about 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.