The ‘zombie frog’, a species discovered in the Amazon that only surfaces when it rains

viscous orange. Strong with red spots on the skin. A new zombie frog discovered in the Amazon has stunned Senckenberg’s team of biologists with its inexplicable ability to hide underground. After months of studying, they realized that they were not looking at one species, but three different species with the same basic characteristics. The wet forest continues to host species not released to science.

Under the leaves of the amazon

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The discovery will be published in the journal Zoologischer Anzeiger. apparently, Frogs belong to the family of narrow-mouthed frogs, and are generally small and roundدير. These amphibians live all over the world, hiding underground for the necessity of keeping their skins moist.

This condition forced the researchers to lift the frogs from the ground with their bare hands for analysis. Only in the heavy rain season does the surface of the “zombie frogs” emerge, the water allowing them to stay wet enough to survive.

In addition, the habitats of these amphibians are difficult to access for scientific research. It was this same feature that inspired the name, according to a report by Dr. Raphael Ernst of the Senckenberg Natural Historic Collections in Dresden: “This rather strange and muddy setting also inspired us to use the zombie name Synapturanus.”

40 mm only

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Despite its robust appearance, according to the team of biologists, The three species identified barely reach 40 mm in length and have 12 common characteristics, which groups them under the genus Synapturanus. Ernst’s team estimates that it extends throughout the rainforests of Guyana, French Guiana, and northern Brazil.

Ernst says that science has not paid much attention to this species. More than anything else, because they are so hard to find and get into their ecosystem. In addition, the expert explains, the areas of their distribution are very small. Besides the fact that they hide underground, monitoring is almost impossible.

Above all, the type’s typical calls are “hard to distinguish,” they write in the investigation. However, the discovery of a ‘zombie frog’ in the Amazon opens up fertile new ground for biological research. Meanwhile, Ernst assures that in the largest forest in the world there will be at least six more, which have not yet been observed.

(taken from National Geographic)