Discovery of the Boston Rain Frog (Breviceps batrachophiliorum)

A new species of rain frog, Breviceps batrachophiliorum—aka the Boston rain frog—has been discovered in South Africa. Known for its grumpy face and unique calls, this burrowing frog is now raising exciting questions in science and conservation.

Famous Family of Burrowers

These little guys are part of a genus of about 20 burrowing frog species that are pretty famous.

• Think short limbs, flat, angry-looking faces, and bodies that are just perfectly rounded, like a golf ball.

• And this new one fits right in, with its distinctive grumpy-looking mouth.

The whole discovery was almost an accident. It started with three super-passionate frog enthusiasts – Marius Burger, Nick Evans, and Cormac Price, along with Dylan Leonard – who set out with a goal: find and document every frog in a field guide written by herpetologist Professor Louis du Preez. They were actually hoping to find a different species, called Bilbo’s rain frog (Breviceps bagginsi). When they thought they found it, they sent a photo and a recording of its call to Professor du Preez for confirmation.

The “Aha!” Moment

Now, Professor du Preez, being the expert he is, noticed something peculiar. He recalled thinking, “There was something curious,” and that maybe the images and sounds were mixed up. But then, the team sent a new recording, and that’s when the “aha!” moment happened: he realized they were looking at a completely new species.

To make sure, du Preez and his colleagues did some serious science, combining ne analysis with morphology, which is basically studying its physical structure. Both methods showed significant differences between this new frog and its closest relative, Breviceps verrucosus. What sets the Boston rain frog apart? It has a visible eardrum, and its particular mouth position is unique. Plus, its calls are shorter, faster, and way more frequent than other known species.

Naming the Rain Frog

The new frog got its name, Breviceps batrachophiliorum, because the first one found, called the holotype, was collected near Boston in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa. The species name itself is really cool – it’s a plural noun meaning "frog-loving people". This was a deliberate choice to acknowledge all the contributions of those who first recorded and “re-discovered” the species, like Marius Burger and Nick Evans, and others who provided extra info, plus all the herpetologists and nature-lovers who shared data with the Southern African Frog Atlas Project.

Conservation Concerns

But here’s the thing, and it’s a bit worrying: this new frog is thought to have a very limited range, spanning just over 1,100 square kilometers (about 425 square miles). Such a small area raises some conservation concerns. On top of that, the initial case of mistaken identity had a big impact for Bilbo’s rain frog. It showed that Bilbo’s rain frog now seems to exist in only one population, which could mean its conservation status might be upgraded to "Critically Endangered". While that sounds like bad news, there’s a silver lining: this new categorization means that both species can be properly assessed, helping scientists figure out their true distribution and hopefully protect them better.

REFERENCE

This whole discovery was published in the African Journal of Herpetology. It just goes to show, even the grumpiest-looking creatures can hold some exciting scientific secrets!

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