Cophixalus kulakula. Photo by Kieran Aland
Scientists have discovered two new species of boulder-dwelling frogs, hidden in remote areas of rainforest in north-east Queensland. Conrad Hoskin, who did most of his research at The Australian National University, and Kieran Aland from the Queensland Museum, described the Kutini Boulder-frog (Cophixalus kulakula) and the Golden-capped Boulder-frog (Cophixalus pakayakulangun) in a recently published paper. Hoskin said the species names were derived from the local Kuuku Ya'u language in consultation with the Indigenous custodians of the land where they were discovered. He said the new species were restricted to piles of massive boulders in the rainforest and they had adapted to their rocky world. "The frogs have long arms, long slender fingers and big triangular finger pads, which enable them to climb among the labyrinth of rocks," he said. "They only occur in the rocks and never in the surrounding forest and although they're highly localised, they're abundant where they occur. You can sit there as darkness falls and watch these amazing frogs emerge from the boulders all around you." The frogs were found in two different areas on the Cape York Peninsula.
TO READ THIS ARTICLE, CREATE YOUR ACCOUNT
And extend your reading, free of charge and with no commitment.
