New Species Found: Colorful Aquatic Frog may be in Trouble

[findiviglio]

Hi, Frank Indiviglio here. I’m a herpetologist, zoologist, and book author, recently retired from a career spent at several zoos, aquariums, and museums, including over20 with the Bronx Zoo.
The discovery of a new frog is always an exciting event, but the species revealed in this month’s issue of Zoo Keys is especially so. The colorful, entirely-aquatic Telmatobius ventriflavum was found in a small stream along a major highway 3,900 feet up in the Peruvian Andes. It is related to a unique group of frogs, the best known being the bizarre, “push-up performing” Lake Titicaca Frog (Telmatobius culeus). I was fascinated by the huge, baggy-skinned Lake Titicaca Frogs resident at the Bronx Zoo (the only ones in captivity) as a child – and due to their 30 year lifespans, I was lucky enough to work with those same individuals once I began my zoo-keeping career! (Please see the article linked below for more on this amazing frog). The Lake Titicaca Frog’s newly-discovered relative promises to be just as interesting – and, it seems, is similarly threatened with extinction. Read the rest of this article here New Species Found: Colorful “Bug-Eyed” Aquatic Frog May be in Trouble
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My Bio, with photos of animals I’ve been lucky enough to work with: That Pet Place Welcomes Frank Indiviglio | That Reptile Blog

Best Regards, Frank