Researchers at the University of Cincinnati have discovered a new species of frog in Africa that has an unusual trait: it is completely silent.
Frog Characteristics
The Ukaguru spiny-throated reed frog does not croak, sing, or chirp. Found in the Ukaguru Mountains of Tanzania, for which it is named, Hyperolius ukaguruensis is one of the few frogs in the world that does not vocalize with other frogs.
The new species belongs to a group of “spiny-throated” reed frogs, which, true to their name, have small spines on the male’s throat. Since they cannot rely on sound to recognize members of their species, they may use spines instead.
“This is a very rare group of frogs,” says Lucinda Lawson, a conservation biologist and research associate professor at the University of Cincinnati.
“Male frogs don’t call like most other frogs. We think they can use the spine as something similar to Braille for species recognition,” Lawson said. “Without a call, they need some other way to recognize each other.”
This group of frogs only has a few species, which are found in small populations that make them rare and endangered. Finding a new member of this group is a huge victory for conservation, Lawson said.
The discovery was described in the journal PLOS ONE.