Suriname: New Frog Species Found

A new species two-tone frog of genus Atelopus, with irregular fluorescent purple-coloured loops on a background of aubergine, was found by Surinamese scientists Paul Ouboter and Jan H. Mol during an expedition led by Leeanne E. Alonso from Conservation International around Nassau plateau in eastern Suriname.

The expedition was sponsored by two mining companies there, surveys, documentation, together with the Rapid Assessment Program carried out by Conservation International in these regions were used to guide decisions of these mining companies and also the governmental bodies.

It was found that this new found species of frog did not have the Chytrid fungus (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis) that is responsible for the decline in the amphibian population. The fungus attacks the parts of a frog's skin that have keratin and also the nervous system, since frog uses the skin to breathe, the infection will cause difficulty in respiration, affect the behaviour and thus slowly kill the infected frog.



The Chytrid fungal infection in the amphibian population is believed to have connection with the higher temperature caused by global warming.

With the new found species these regions in Suriname will become important in monitoring the ongoing process and discovering the reasons and factors that stave off the fungus.

Scientists believe there may be another 4000 amphibian species on the planet yet to be found, with more than 6000 species already known and recorded at the moment. The total number is expected to be dropping fast if global warming is not controlled and conservation is not done as soon as possible, with more than one hundred species have already gone extinct since 1980, and about one third of known species have been classified by IUCN The World Conservation Union as threatened in 2007, the number has increased more than ten folds as compared to the record in mere ten years ago.

In coming years, further changes in global climate will continue to impact the biodiversity, the food chain will be disrupted with the dramatic decrease in amphibian species and others, encourages the increase of certain insects and also the spread of infectious diseases.

Human activities since industrial revolution have pushed the whole environment towards a most dangerous edge, all conservation programs cannot be done effectively without taking on the main cause - one species that disrupts a whole lot of all the others - we the Homo sapiens. Despite all the alarming facts, most of us are still living without paying heed, the boiling frog syndrome is going to haunt us sooner or later if consensus among nations and effective and drastic actions are still inadequate.

Photo by Paul Ouboter