New species of rain frog accidentally discovered in KZN
Three frog enthusiasts headed out to see if they could find a rare frog in the grassy slopes of the Midlands
Instead, they found a whole new species.
According to North-West University, the discovery was led by a long-time herpetologist, Professor Louis du Preez.
The three men who stumbled upon the new amphibian - Nick Evans, Dylan Leonard, and Cormack Price - went out in search of the elusive Bilbo’s rain frog, named after Bilbo Baggins, from The Lord of the Rings, who also lived in a hole in the ground.
The trio's goal was to spot and document every frog in Prof Du Preez’s field guide. They thought they had found Bilbo's rain frog, and immediately sent a recording of the frog’s call, along with a photograph, to 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.”
The new species has been named "Breviceps batrachophiliorum," Latin for ‘frog-loving people’.
According to NWU, the discovery underscores a broader trend.
"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,” it said in a statement on Monday.
“The discovery not only highlighted the existence of more species than we're aware of but also brought home another realisation. The new frog has often been misidentified as Bilbo's frog, which has since been categorised as Critically Endangered.”
