Pictures: "Mr. Burns" Toad, More New Amphibians Found

Rocket Frog

Photograph courtesy Robin Moore, ILCP

A new species of rocket frog (pictured), found in September, is less toxic—and more drably colored—than other poison dart frog species, conservationists said this week. (Related: "Toxic Frogs Get Their Poison From Mites.")

Living in and around streams, the 1.2-inch-long (3-centimeter-long) frogs carefully carry newly hatched tadpoles on their backs until they reach water, where the tadpoles complete their development.

The rocket frog and the two other new frog species found recently in Colombia were a "shot of adrenaline" for the scientific team, who had spent a fruitless week scouring Colombia's chilly cloud forests and steamy rain forests for presumed-extinct amphibians, Conservation International's Moore said in a statement.

"We definitely left on a high."

Published November 17, 2010

Red-Eyed Mystery Toad

Photograph courtesy Robin Moore, ILCP

Found in steep Colombian cloud forests in September, this new species of toad has baffled scientists. The toad's genus is still a mystery—as is the reason for its ruby-colored eyes.

"I have never seen a toad with such vibrant red eyes," Conservation International's Moore said in a statement released this week.

"This trait is highly unusual for amphibians, and its discovery offers us a terrific opportunity to learn more about how and why it adapted this way."

(Related: "New Frog Found—Has 'Striking' Color Change.")

Published November 17, 2010

New Frog Gathers No Moss

Photograph courtesy Robin Moore, ILCP

All three newfound species (pictured, the red-eyed toad in September) were active during the daytime, an unusual occurrence in amphibians, according to Conservation International.

Their daytime habits likely helped the scientists spot the new animals during the weeklong expedition.

"Finding three new species in such a short space of time," Conservation International's Moore said, "speaks to the incredibly rich biodiversity of these relatively unexplored forests and highlights their importance for conservation."

Published November 17, 2010

Fruitless Search

Photograph courtesy Robin Moore, ILCP

In September, Alonso Quevedo, president of Fundación ProAves, looks for Colombia's presumed-extinct Mesopotamia beaked toad, which was not found.

The global amphibian search comes amid a steady decline in worldwide amphibian species, in part due to freshwater habitat loss, and the usually fatal chytrid fungus. Nearly 30 percent of known amphibian species are threatened with extinction, according to Conservation International. (Read about vanishing amphibians in National Geographic magazine.)

Published November 17, 2010