Rare Zimbabwean frog species sighted after 54 years

A rare frog species native to Zimbabwe, the Artholeptis troglodytes (cave or sinkhole squeaker), has been rediscovered after 54 years of fears that it had become extinct.

The small frog, with a maximum 27mm length and is a direct breeder, meaning it does not have a tadpole phase, had been last sighted in 1962.

Its only confirmed habitat is Chimanimani, eastern Zimbabwe.

It was re-sighted on Dec. 2 by a team led by Robert Hopkins, a research assistant with the Natural History Museum in Bulawayo, after an eight-year search.

Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority spokesperson Caroline Washaya-Moyo said Wednesday 16 specimens of the frog collected before the last sighting are housed in museums in Bulawayo, South Africa and Britain.

In his report after finding the frog species, Hopkins said they located three male and one female specimens, whose photographs are the only ones of such frogs in the world.

"A great deal of data was gathered, and most interesting of all, is that I am able to state that this species is alive and well on the summit of Chimanimani, and is breeding well. There seems to be a very viable population," he said.

He said his greatest concern, however, was that the scientific world would flood in to capture and illegally export specimens from Chimanimani.

Washaya-Moyo encouraged tourists to not only look out for the big five (lion, leopard, buffalo, elephant and rhino) during their visits to Zimbabwe, but also take time to appreciate other wildlife species. Endit