17:16     23 March 2021    

Biologists from the Hong Kong environmental organization Kaduri Farm and Botanical Garden have discovered a new species of frog in the rainforests of China's southern province of Hainan. According to the Hainan Daily, this type of amphibian was named Micryletta immaculata.

"A group of scientists collected [biological] samples, analyzed morphological and molecular biological data and confirmed that this species of animals is endemic for Hainan (found only in a certain area)," said representative of the environmental organization Yang Jianhuan. The miniature frog lives in the green massif of the mountainous part of the island, in the areas of Exianling, Yingling and Jianfengling. The length of adult males is 23-25 ​​mm, females — 25-30 mm. The skin color of Micryletta immaculata is brownish-bronze, which allows it to hide among the fallen branches and leaves. There are no patterns on the body. The researchers noted that the thin and drawn-out sound that this frog makes is more like the chirping of a cricket than the usual croaking of this species of amphibians. Due to human agricultural activities, the population of this Hainan frog species is faced with the problem of loss and pollution of its natural habitat. Therefore, according to the researchers, according to the standards of the International Union for Conservation of Nature, Micryletta immaculata should be classified as a vulnerable species at risk of becoming endangered. The tropical island of Hainan is currently home to 43 species of amphibians, including the recently discovered Hainan frog, according to recent reports. Of these, 14 species are found exclusively in this province of China. The Hainan authorities are paying special attention to the protection of the province's ecosystem, the construction of nature reserves and the restoration of rain forests. In January 2019, a pilot zone for the Rainforest National Park was set up there. This island is home to a large number of rare animal species, such as the Hainan gibbon, the Hainan shrub partridge and the Hainan shell spindle (legless lizard).