'Mr. Burns' frog discovered in Colombia along with 2 other new species

[Frog News]

Mongabay News (California, USA) November 15th, 2010 06:40 PM: Pictures: 'Mr. Burns' frog discovered in Colombia along with 2 other new species

Three previously undocumented species of frog have been discovered in Colombia, reports Conservation International.

The new species were discovered during an expedition to search for the Mesopotamia beaked toad, an amphibian which hasn't been seen in nearly a century. The expedition, which included researchers from Conservation International (CI), the IUCN Amphibian Specialist Group (ASG), Global Wildlife Conservation (GWC) and Fundación ProAves, came under the "Search for Lost Frogs" program, an initiative seeking out species of amphibians thought to be extinct.

Robin Moore, a herpetologist with Conservation International and one of the leaders of the expedition, said that while the team failed to find the Mesopotamia beaked toad, the discoveries were a highlight of the trip, which took scientists to forests ranging from lowland rainforest to cloud forest in the Colombian departments of Chocó and Antioquia.

"After spending several days searching for the Mesopotamia beaked toad with no success, the team’s spirits were pretty low, but finding these new species, including a new beaked toad, was like a shot of adrenaline," said Moore.

The newly discovered species include a cryptic beaked toad (Rhinella species), which resembles dead leaves and whose offspring skip the tadpole stage to develop directly into toadlets; an unknown toad with bright red eyes; and a new rocket frog (Silverstoneia species), a type of poison dart frog.

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