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They are just 16 millimeters small and live on a mountain – researchers in Australia have made what they say are an “unbelievable discovery”.
Sydney – In a newly discovered species of frog in Australia, the males carry the tadpoles on their bodies.
Researchers found the only 16 millimeter small animals on a mountain in Wollumbin National Park. This is the case with only four of the 4,000 frog species known worldwide, the New South Wales Ministry of the Environment quoted the scientist Michael Mahony from the University of Newcastle as saying.
Genetic analyzes by the university and the South Australian Museum have shown that it is a separate species that is closely related to the “Assa darlingtoni” (pouch or hip pocket frog called). The tiny amphibians, which apparently only live on an area of around 2000 hectares on Mount Warning (called Mount Wollumbin by the natives), were named “Assa Wollumbin” based on their place of discovery.
Immediately taken measures to protect the animals
The New South Wales government took immediate action to protect the small population, said regional environment minister Matt Kean. “This incredible discovery shows how much we don’t know about the world around us,” he said.
Its small population size makes the frog very vulnerable to the effects of climate change, according to Kean. “To ensure the survival of this fascinating species of frog, which lived undetected high in a cool forest, a nature conservation action plan is being developed.”
Wollumbin National Park is located in the Gondwana rainforests on the border between New South Wales and Queensland. The rainforest areas have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1986. dpa
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