‘Large’-eyed mountain creature — with bumpy body — discovered as new species in China

Equipped with cameras and nets, a group of scientists trekked into the mountains of southwestern China. They were relatively familiar with the terrain. After all, they’d been surveying the area for almost a decade.

Year after year, survey after survey, a “large”-eyed creature managed to hide from the scientists.

But not this time.

Researchers ventured into the mountain forests of Leishan County several times between March and October 2023, according to a study published Feb. 19 in the peer-reviewed journal ZooKeys. The area was “abundant” in amphibians — and that’s what they were searching for.

During the surveys, researchers found seven bumpy frogs that didn’t match any known records, the study said. They took a closer look at the animals and quickly realized they’d discovered a new species: Odorrana leishanensis, or the Leishan odorous frog.

Leishan odorous frogs are considered “moderate” in size, reaching about 2 inches in length, the study said. They have bumps scattered across their “grass-green” bodies and “slender” limbs. Their heads have “short” snouts and “large” eyes.

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Photos show several Leishan odorous frogs. One blends in quite well with the surrounding plants. It has copper eyes, a green head, yellow-brown sides and a smattering of darker brown blotches.

Other photos show a frog with a darker military green coloring and a lighter green body.

Leishan odorous frogs live in a mountain forest between elevations of about 5,200 and 5,900 feet, researchers said. The frogs were “often found on bamboo” and were also seen near streams.

A photo shows this forested area and a frog perched on a bush.

Researchers said they named the new species after Leishan County, the area where the frogs were discovered and, so far, the only area where they have been found. This county is in Guizhou Province and about 900 miles southwest of Shanghai.

Leishan odorous frogs likely have a small population and are “vulnerable,” the study said. Researchers surveyed the mountains of Guizhou Province several times between 2014 and 2023 “but the new species has only just been discovered, with only seven adult specimens found.”

The new species was identified by its body size, texture and other subtle physical features, the study said. DNA analysis found the new species had at least 5% genetic divergence from other odorous frogs.

The research team included Shi-Ze Li, Ji-Jun Chen, Hai-Jun Su, Jing Liu, Xiu-Jun Tang and Bin Wang.

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