New Species of Frog Found Under a Rock in Venezuela has Copper Eyes

Under a rock in Venezuela, a frog with copper eyes was discovered by scientists. This frog turned out to be a new species.

New Species Under a Rock in Venezuela

The year 2012 saw Philippe Kok ascend Murisipán-tepui for a four-day animal survey. He described it as a "poorly explored" mountain in Venezuela. Under a stone on the tabletop mountain, he noticed a lumpy creature with copper-colored eyes. Kok was drawn to the animal and realized it was a brand-new species.

The mountain is only accessible by helicopter or "technical climbs" due to its cliff-like slopes, which reach an elevation of roughly 8,000 feet. Kok claims that the peak is made up of both bare, exposed granite and shrub-like vegetation. The peak is split in half by a wide chasm, and the highest point develops a "seasonal lagoon".

Kok discovered five little creatures hidden beneath rocks near the lagoon and fissures while exploring the mountain. When he examined the golden creature more closely, Stefania lathropae, a new species of frog, was found, according to the study. Kok noted that Stefania lathropae frogs are tiny, growing to a length of slightly over 2 inches. They have "large, round" tongues, copper-colored eyes, and a rough texture. According to the study, the frog has a "golden brown" hue that can range from "plain" brown to copper.

The orange-brown coloring of one Stefania lathropae frog is practically metallic. Another has a side design that is blue-tinged and has a glossy, golden appearance. A third frog is more oily and copper in appearance.

Along the border between Guyana and Brazil, Kok also found the new species of frog on a nearby tabletop mountain, Miami Herald reports.

Frog With Copper Eyes

For approximately 20 years, the Stefania lathropae frog was confused for another species. According to Kok, the two species have a fairly similar appearance but differ genetically by 8.5% and reside on different mountains, with no crossover in their ranges. According to the study, the new species was also identified as different based on its skull and other minute physical characteristics.

According to the study, Stefania lathropae, a member of the Stefania frog family, most likely carries its young until they are adults on its back. Kok, however, did not come across any female frogs with eggs or young in tow.

Amy Lathrop, a Canadian herpetologist who was probably the first researcher to get her hands on numerous new Stefania species gathered in the Pakaraima Mountains of Guyana, has the honor of having the new frog species named in her honor, according to Kok. Lathrop and her coworker Ross MacCulloch officially described these frog species.

According to the study, the only place Stefania lathropae frogs have been discovered is on the Murisipán-tepui mountain in eastern Venezuela, roughly 460 miles southeast of Caracas, the country's capital. The species is probably critically endangered because of its narrow distribution range and the adverse effects of climate change, according to AOL.

Kok wrote the study published in June this year in the Journal of Vertebrate Biology.