A New Tree Frog Species Endemic to Sulawesi Discovered, This is What It Looks Like

For researchers from the Center for Biostystematics and Evolution (PRBE), National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), they successfully discovered a new species of tree frog from the genus Rhacophorus at two different locations on Mount Katopasa and Mount Gandang Dewata in Sulawesi.

The word refers to an endemic animal of Sulawesi, which means it cannot be found in any other place in the world. This discovery has enriched the list of endemic fauna in Sulawesi, particularly amphibians, while also emphasizing the importance of biodiversity conservation in the Wallacea region.

A new frog species has been named Rhacophorus boeadii , as a tribute to the late Drs. Boeadi, a naturalist and scientist from the Museum Zoologicum Bogoriense (MZB) who contributed to the world of science zoologi And conservation of herpetofauna wildlife in Indonesia.

According to Amir Hamidy, a Herpetology Researcher at BRIN, R. boeadii has morphological characteristics that distinguish it from three species. Rhacophorus Sulawesi other, like R. edentulus , R. georgii , dan R. monticola .

"The frog is of medium size, with the body length of males around 40-45 millimeters and females 48-54 mm. Other distinctive features include the sloping snout of males, rough skin on the back with white spots, as well as a pattern of white spots on the sides of the body," said Amir.

She explained that this discovery is the result of intensive surveys conducted from 2016 to 2019 in the Mount Katopasa area located in Central Sulawesi, and Mount Gandang Dewata in West Sulawesi. Morphological, genetic analyses, as well as male call sounds support that the specimens are a species that has never been described before.

We are very enthusiastic about this discovery as it increasingly opens our understanding of the unique biodiversity wealth of Sulawesi. However, we are also concerned because its habitat, which is specified to highland forests, is highly vulnerable to threats of habitat destruction and climate change." - Amir Hamidy, Herpetology Researcher at BRIN -

As part of the Wallacea region, Sulawesi is known to have become a biodiversity hotspot with a high level of endemism, particularly for amphibian groups. Unfortunately, pressure on natural habitats continues to increase and poses a real threat to the survival of endemic species.

The studies have been published in the international journal Zootaxa and have become important references in taxonomic studies as well as the conservation of biodiversity in Indonesia.