Filipino and foreign scientists have discovered a new frog species and ‘resurrected’ two others in southern and central Philippines, all of which were thought to have been the same species over the past 100 years.
Before the discoveries, they were referred to as cryptic species, meaning they look very similar but are genetically and behaviorally distinct.Filipino wildlife biologist Kier Mitchel Pitogo, one of the authors of the study detailing the three new additions to the Philippine amphibian fauna, explained that these frogs play an important role in the environment, acting as bioindicators of forest habitat quality.
stressed that for conservation purposes, it becomes extremely important to get their names and identities right.’Conservation decisions are ultimately made at the species level, so if we don’t recognize the species correctly, we may not even know which species is declining, where it occurs, or what habitat needs to be protected,’ Pitogo explained.It took four years and 230 frog specimens for the authors to officially add the three latest species to the country’s amphibian fauna.Aside from Pitogo, the authors include Rew Hoskins, Faben Hana Tesfazion, Camila G. Meneses, Hayden W. Cannon, Christian E. Supsup, Syrus Cesar P. Decena, Marites B. Sanguila, and Rafe M. Brown.