new species

Cool New Animal Discoveries of 2009

By sarajean on 7/29/09 7:59pm
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Last month we mentioned several new species of animals that were discovered in Ecuador, such as the glass frog, the Enyalioides lizard, and the unfortunately-named “ugly salamander.” But as you probably already knew, a small group of new species like this only represents a fraction of the annual animal findings that science reports. While it’s true that many human populations are dwindling to threatened or even extinct status at an alarming rate—largely due to human activity—it’s also true that new species are constantly being identified.

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New Species Found in Ecuador

By sarajean on 6/26/09 6:54pm
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Scientists have found a handful of new species of creatures while working with Conservation International in Ecuador and Peru. The prime area of exploration, the Upper Nangaritza River Bain, is composed of remote mountains made up of forests, located in the Cordillera del Cor.

Along with an assortment of katydids, the Dendrobates poison arrow frog, the tiny “minute” Pristimantis frog, the Hyalinobatrachium glass frog, the Enyalioides lizard, and the “ugly salamander” are all potentially new species.

I showed my daughter the pictures, and while we both agreed that the “ugly salamander” is hideous, calling something ugly by name really isn’t a very nice thing to do. Even “appearance-challenged salamander” would have been better than flat out “ugly.”

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