Nature Survey In Tropical Paradise Leads To New Species Of 'Diamond-Eyed' Toad

Nature Survey In Tropical Paradise Leads To New Species Of 'Diamond-Eyed' Toad

Nature Survey In Tropical Paradise Leads To New Species Of 'Diamond-Eyed' Toad In 2024, researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Kunming Institute of Zoology explored the Tongbiguan Provincial Nature Reserve of Yunnan, a tropical haven teeming with animals like Great hornbills, Frogmouth owls, gibbons, giant squirrels, and more.  During their nature survey, the researchers discovered that the rainforest was also home to a new species: The Xenophrys tongbiguanensis , or Tongbiguanen horned toad. “This frog inhabits flowing [mountain] streams and the nearby forest floor in subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forests,” lead author Yun-He Wu wrote for Zoosystematics and Evolution on August 8.  “The frog usually perches on cardamom leaves at night, but it can be found among piles of dead leaves by the roadside on rainy days.” Although it closely resembles the Xenophrys ancrae , a frog found in Arunachal Pradesh, India, the Tongbiguanen horned toad’s distinct diamond-shaped pupils …