During a 2023 expedition to the remote Juruá River Basin in the Amazon Rainforest, Albertina Pimentel Lima heard an unusual call. Investigating the source of the cricket-like noises, she found a stunning frog.
About 1.5cm in length, with metallic copper limbs, a brown-and-blue striped back and a blue spotted belly, this frog was unusual, and like none other she had seen. But could it be a new species?
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During 2024’s rainy season – when frogs are most active – Albertina and Alexander Mônico returned to the forest to try to see if they could discover more about this animal.
They spent the season making detailed recordings of the frogs’ behaviour, recording its calls, and collecting genetic and anatomical data.
By piecing together all these bits of information, they and their international team – consisting of Brazilian and Czech scientists – concluded that this was indeed a novel species within the well-studied poison frog group, Ranitomeya.
In their new paper, the team have named the species Ranitomeya aetherea.
But how did this frog manage to avoid discovery for so long?
The Juruá River Basin, in the Brazilian Amazon, is incredibly remote and, as a result, it is not well explored. Because of this there are probably many more undiscovered species in the area. This is particularly important because while the Juruá River Basin contains some of the world’s most pristine rainforest, it faces threats from both disturbance and deforestation.
“We are likely losing a significant portion of biodiversity before we even have the chance to discover it,” Alexander tells BBC Wildlife.
Involving local people in the discovery of species – and fostering a sense of connection and guardianship – is, Alexander says, crucial for species’ protection. The team therefore made a real effort to involve the local community during their expeditions.
Local residents also made the expeditions possible, by guiding the team through the forest and providing transport and shelter.
While the wildlife of the Juruá River Basin face multiple threats, the team feel that discoveries such as this beautiful new frog offer “a glimmer of hope” in our troubling times. It is surely a wonderful thing to know gems such as R. aetherea still await discovery in the depths of the rainforest.
Main image: habitat of Ranitomeya aetherea. Credit: Alexander Mônico
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