Current Events: Microscopic Frogs

Current Events: Pea-sized Frogs
A frog the size of a pea was discovered by Drs. Indraneil das and Alexander Haas of the institute of biodiversity and environmental conservation at the university of Malaysia. The species was found on the side of the road that lead to the summit of Gunug Serapi Mountain which is located in Kubah National park. The frog that was found is called scientifically Microhyla nepenthicola. And it is a frog that is about the size of a pea (Males are usually 10.6-12.8 mm) This frog is found in Southeast Asia, Borneo and lives in the local pitcher plants. The frog depends on the pitcher plant to raise it's young. The frog lays it's eggs on the side of the pitcher plant and the tadpoles grow in the liquid inside the pitcher plant. Hence the fact that the name of the frog, Microhyla nepenthicola, was based on the name of the plant that it uses to grow it's young, Nepenthes ampullaria. But since these are such small creatures how did the scientists ever find the rest of these species? These frogs where tracked by their call and then made to jump on to a piece of white cloth. The frog has a particular call which is a series of harsh rasping sounds that go on and are interrupted with short intervals. This "song" continues from when the sun sets till the early hours of evening. Amphibians are the most threatened group of animals with 1/3 of the population gone. This is because amphibians are quite sensitive to changes to their surroundings, so discovering these new miniature frogs helps scientists understand what changes that occur in the global environment are having an impact on amphibians.
I found this article the most interesting out of all 3 because it was something I had never heard of before and was such a recent discovery. It also intrigued me that something so small could play such a big part in a ecosystem or on the survival of a species. It helped me understand that the discovery of even something so small can help us understand the other parts of this frogs ecosystem. If you want to learn more visit: Frog Site