New Frog Species Found Carrying 9 Babies on a Breathing Back
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📰 The quick summary: A new frog species discovered on a remote tabletop mountain in South America carries nine babies on her back using the same skin she breathes through, adding to the growing list of extraordinary amphibian species hiding in some of Earth’s least-visited places.
📈 One key stat: The summit of Wei-Assipu-tepui sits atop a plateau of only about three square kilometers, making it one of the most isolated habitats on Earth and a key reason this frog species went undetected for so long.
💬 One key quote: “Almost without trying, just having skin that’s moist, and having some blood vessels in it, they’re going to exchange gas and water through their skin, whether they like it or not,” said Kurt Schwenk, evolutionary biologist at the University of Connecticut.
1️⃣ The big picture: On a fog-wrapped tabletop mountain straddling the border of Guyana and Brazil, researchers discovered a new frog species carrying nine babies on her back, a creature that had been hiding in plain sight for years. Named Stefania maccullochi, this small brown frog belongs to an ancient genus endemic to the Guiana Shield Highlands, a region often called the “Lost World” of northern South America. Females of the species practice a rare form of parental care by carrying their eggs on their backs until the froglets hatch, and the young remain there for a period after. What makes this discovery even more striking is that the same skin the mother uses as a nursery also functions as a lung, absorbing oxygen directly from the air and water around her. The species is likely critically endangered due to its extremely limited range and the growing threats of climate change, human fires, and increasing visitors to its isolated habitat.
2️⃣ Why is this good news: Finding a new frog species on one of Earth’s most inaccessible mountains is a powerful reminder that biodiversity still holds surprises we have not yet uncovered. Each new species described gives scientists a fuller picture of how life on Earth is structured, which in turn helps conservation efforts prioritize the right habitats and protect the right species. Frogs like Stefania maccullochi act as sensitive indicators of ecosystem health, meaning that protecting their habitat has ripple effects across entire ecological communities. The remarkable biology at play here, a mother whose skin simultaneously breathes and cradles nine offspring, deepens our understanding of how amphibians have evolved extraordinary survival strategies over millions of years. Renewed scientific attention on isolated mountain ecosystems like the Guiana Shield Highlands can help drive stronger protections for some of the most ancient and biodiverse regions on the planet.
3️⃣ What’s next: Researchers will likely push for formal conservation status for Stefania maccullochi given its narrow range and the threats already closing in on its habitat. Further molecular analyses of the broader Stefania genus are expected, as many more cryptic species likely remain undescribed across the region. Increased scientific access to remote tepuis through helicopter expeditions could accelerate discoveries before climate change and human activity alter these ecosystems beyond recovery.
Read the full story here: Ecoportal – A new frog species carrying nine babies on her back was hiding in plain sight on a mountain almost nobody climbs
