A new species of frog with a tapir-like nose has been discovered in the Amazon forests. An article about this was written in Evolutionary Systematics.

The species was found in the lower reaches of the Putumayo in the Peruvian region of Loreto. It belongs to the genus Synapturanus and is 1.8 centimeters long and has brown skin with a cream colored belly.

The body shape of this species is convenient for digging holes, experts suggest that the species has adapted to the soft soils of the Amazonian peatlands. Researchers were able to detect frogs only thanks to their characteristic voices, focusing on which scientists dug up animals. The species was named Synapturanus danta.

“These frogs are really hard to find, and this leads to the fact that they are not well understood,” said Michelle Thompson, author of the work from the Chicago Fields Museum. “This is an example of the Amazon biodiversity that is invisible to the eye, and therefore it is very important to document it and study the functioning of the local ecosystem.”

The researchers note that frogs of this genus are distributed throughout the Amazonian region, but because they live underground and cannot travel far, each species is concentrated in a small area.

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