Seven New Mini-Frogs Found—Among Smallest Known
The brightly colored amphibians were recently discovered in Brazil's Atlantic rain forest, a new study says.
Good things came in small packages for a team of scientists who recently discovered seven new species of tiny frogs in Brazil's Atlantic rain forest.
The new species belong to the genus Brachycephalus, a group of frogs known for their miniscule size and bright colors. These amphibians are among the smallest terrestrial vertebrates, with some species only growing to about about 0.3 inch (a centimeter) long.
(See "World's Smallest Frog Found—Fly-Size Beast Is Tiniest Vertebrate.")
Their conspicuous markings may warn potential predators that their skin contains highly potent toxins.
Most species of Brachycephalus are only found on one, or a few, mountaintops in Brazilian cloud forests. These species tend to be cut off from one another by valleys of
