A new rare frog species has been found! The special frog, Theloderma cf. corticale, is an uncommon species and very hard to spot as it is cleverly camouflaged.
The frog was accidentally discovered by one of Harapan Rainforest’s field guide staff while "tree hugging" during a nature hike on a new Forest Trail. (When you look at the below photo you can begin to understand how that might be the case!)
IUCN lists Theloderma cf. corticale as a Data Deficient species, which is the case for many amphibian species in this generally under-researched taxa group.
Theloderma is a genus of frogs in the family Rhacophoridae, subfamily Rhacophorinae. They are only found in South, Southeast and East Asia. They are sometimes known as bug-eyed frogs or warty treefrogs.
This now makes a total of 39 amphibian species found in Harapan Rainforest to date (6 of which are Near Threatened). This number will undoubtedly rise as we learn more about this vast regenerating tropical forest so watch this space as the year progresses...