This frog species is small, carries its eggs in a natural pouch on its back, and is "highly endangered" due to habitat loss caused by climate change and wildfires.
On April 1st, Peru's Ceja de Selva Institute for Sustainable Development Research announced that its scientists had discovered a new, small species of marsupial frog in the Amazon rainforest region of Peru.
This new amphibian species, scientifically named Gastrotheca mittaliiti, is bright green and was discovered in a mountainous ecosystem in the Amazon rainforest region bordering Ecuador.
They measure between 2.7 and 3.3 cm and carry their eggs in a natural pouch on their backs. Unlike other frog species that rely on the aquatic environment to develop their eggs, this frog nurtures its eggs within the pouch on its back.
Research indicates that this frog species is "at high risk of extinction" due to habitat loss caused by climate change and wildfires started by farmers.
Institute director Manuel Oliva stated: “This is further evidence of the diversity of natural resources we possess… If we continue our research, there are still many more animal species waiting to be discovered .”
The above findings were published in the New Zealand scientific journal Zootaxa and were made in collaboration with research departments at Florida International University (USA) and the University of Seville (Spain).