Forest creature with ‘muscular’ thighs heard calling in Thailand. It’s a new species

In a darkened forest of southern Thailand, a “stocky” creature with “muscular” thighs called out for a mate. Instead, its raspy “ratchet”-like call caught the attention of nearby scientists.

It turned out to be a new species.

Researchers in southeast Asia took on a massive project. They wanted to “comprehensively” survey Berdmore’s narrow-mouthed frog , a widespread species found from India to Indonesia, because they suspected it might be several species inaccurately grouped together, according to a study published Oct. 4 in the peer-reviewed journal Vertebrate Zoology.

To investigate, researchers visited dozens of sites across nine countries over several decades. They caught several amphibians thought to be Berdmore’s narrow-mouthed frogs then studied their DNA and appearances.

Some patterns began to emerge. The team noticed the “stocky” frogs from Thailand and nearby Malaysia differed slightly yet significantly.

Researchers soon realized they’d discovered a new species: Microhyla peninsularis, or the Peninsular narrow-mouthed frog.

Peninsular narrow-mouthed frogs are considered “medium”-sized, reaching just over 1 inch in length, the study said. They have “triangular” bodies with “almost smooth” skin, “long” hindlegs and “robust,” “muscular” thighs. Their “triangular” heads have a “short” snout and “small,” “light-bronze” eyes.

A photo shows the gray-brown coloring of the new species. Some darker brown and black speckles dot its back and legs, but overall it appears relatively uniform in color. Researchers described its belly as “dull yellowish-white.”

Peninsular narrow-mouthed frogs live in lowland forests. They were usually found at night “after heavy rains” and seen sitting on the ground “or on rotten logs nearby sandy, slow-moving streams,” the study said.

Researchers heard male frogs making “a series of rasping sounds resembling the sound of a ratchet.”

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Researchers said they named the new species after the Latin word “peninsularis,” meaning “peninsular,” after the Thai-Malay peninsula where it was discovered.

So far, Peninsular narrow-mouthed frogs have only been found at one site in Thailand and one site in Malaysia, the study said.

The new species was identified by its DNA, body shape, size, fingers and toes, coloring, eyes and other subtle physical features, the study said.

The research team included Alexei Trofimets, Christophe Dufresnes, Parinya Pawangkhanant, Andrey Bragin, Vladislav Gorin, Mahmudul Hasan, Hmar Tlawmte Lalremsanga, Mohd Abdul Muin, Dac Xuan Le, Tan Van Nguyen, Chatmongkon Suwannapoom and Nikolay Poyarkov.

The team also discovered a second new species: the Sundaic narrow-mouthed frog .

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