The National Service of Natural Areas Protected by the State (Sernarp) of Peru announced this Friday the discovery of a new species of spiny-backed tree frog, found in the Yanachaga Chemillén National Park, in the central part of the country.
It is ‘Osteocephalus vasquezi’, which diverged from its sister species ‘Osteocephalus mimeticus’ —endemic to the Peruvian Andes and inhabiting tropical montane forests— about 2.5 million years ago. Its name pays homage to Professor Pedro Vásquez, a pioneer in the management of wildlife in the Latin American nation.
The recently discovered amphibian was found specifically in the Quebrada Honda sector, in the province of Oxapampa. The species inhabits the premontane forest of the Cordillera del Yanachaga in the central Andes of Peru, at elevations between 1,000 and 1,150 meters.
“This new species can be distinguished by having a creamy or creamy-tan belly with a well-defined pattern of chocolate-brown spots and speckles, and its tadpole has a very large mouth and is adapted to life in rushing water,” the researchers write.
Specialists from the US environmental organization Rainforest Partnership, the Peruvian Institute of Herpetology and the Faculty of Exact and Natural Sciences of the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador participated in the study.
The Yanachaga Chaemillén National Park stands out for the richness of its fauna. The place is home to at least 30 endemic species of the 95 types of amphibians that live in the area. with RT