Seven New Species of Rare Tiny Frogs Discovered in the Cloud Forests of Brazil

Scientists have uncovered seven new tiny frog species in the Brazilian Atlantic rainforest. The brightly colored frogs belong to a genus known as Brachycephalus and are all remarkably endemic and also highly vulnerable to climate change.

The Atlantic Rainforest of Brazil harbors a unique group of frogs that have fascinated researchers for over a century. These frogs, belonging to Brachycephalus, are among the smallest terrestrial vertebrates in the world. Adults often don't grow larger than 1 cm in length. In addition, these frogs have some surprising featuers, such as a reduced number of toes and fingers. Many of these frogs are also brightly colored, which may signal as a warning to the presence of a highly potent neurotoxin in their skin, known as tetrodotoxin.

Most of these species can only be found in one or a few adjacent mountaintops. This is due to their adaptation to a specific type of habitat: the cloud forests. This prevents the frogs from migrating across valleys while at the same time promoting the formation of new species.

"Although getting to many of the field sites is exhausting, there was always the feeling of anticipations and curiosity about what new species could look like," said Marcio Pie, one of the researchers, in a news release.

There are concerns surrounding the seven new species that were discovered. Cloud forests are highly sensitive to climatic changes, and the long-term preservation of these species may involve not only the protection of their habitats but also more direct management efforts.

The findings are published in the journal PeerJ.

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