<div class="" data-article-body="true"><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words">Scientists have newly described three extraordinary species of tree toad that leapfrog over the egg-to-tadpole stage. The females give birth on land to dozens of toadlets, each measuring just a few millimeters long.</p><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words">Live birth, or skipping the egg-laying and larva stage, is extremely rare in amphibians. Among more than 4,000 species of frogs and toads, fewer than 1% are viviparous, or bear live young. This strategy may have evolved as an adaptation in habitats lacking easy access to water where frogs and toads typically lay their eggs, the study authors reported.</p><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words">“Describing these new species that give birth to live young is fascinating and helps us understand the evolutionary flexibility of amphibians, one of the most diverse and ecologically sensitive groups of vertebrates,” said Dr. Diego José Santana, curator of amphibians and a conservation ecologist at Chicago’s Field Museum of Natural History. He was not involved in the new research.</p><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words">The three varieties of tree toad from Tanzania were previously classified as one species: Nectophrynoides viviparus. However, when scientists analyzed the physical traits and genetic data of hundreds of museum specimens, along with vocal recordings of toads in their habitats, they determined that the three types of toad were separate species in the Nectophrynoides genus.</p><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words">These newly described species provide researchers with a clearer picture of the diversity in tree toads that bear live young and could help to conserve them. Some wild populations in several Nectophrynoides species are declining, and species with smaller ranges are especially vulnerable to disruptions from deforestation and the climate crisis, according to the study.</p><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words">“Further surveys are needed to fully understand the distribution, ecology, and possible population trends in these areas to inform future conservation strategies,” the authors wrote.</p><h3 class="mb-4 text-lg font-bold">Voices, toes and glands of tree toads</h3><figure class="relative mb-4"><div class="relative"><img alt="Coloration and patterning are highly variable in the previously unknown species Nectophrynoides uhehe. - Michele Menegon" loading="lazy" width="960" height="540" decoding="async" data-nimg="1" class="rounded-lg" style="color:transparent" src="https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/2YOJtXGVDGHA959fPqzp.g--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTU0MDtjZj13ZWJw/https://media.zenfs.com/en/cnn_articles_875/27c1f9ff1171dad04d143f68f30199a7"><button aria-label="View larger image" class="group absolute bottom-3 right-3 size-10 md:size-[50px] lg:inset-0 lg:size-full lg:bg-transparent" data-ylk="elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;"><span class="absolute bottom-0 right-0 rounded-full bg-white p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-white/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none"><svg viewbox="0 0 22 22" aria-hidden="true" class="size-4 lg:size-6" width="22" height="22"><path d="M12.372.92c0-.506.41-.916.915-.916L21 0l-.004 7.712a.917.917 0 0 1-1.832 0V3.183l-6.827 6.828-1.349-1.348 6.828-6.828h-4.529a.915.915 0 0 1-.915-.915M1.835 17.816l6.828-6.828 1.349 1.349-6.829 6.827h4.529a.915.915 0 0 1 0 1.831L0 21l.004-7.713a.916.916 0 0 1 1.831 0z"></path></svg></span></button><dialog aria-label="Modal Dialog" aria-modal="true" class="fixed inset-0 z-4 size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-white hidden"></dialog></div><figcaption class="relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5"><div style="max-height:none;overflow:visible">Coloration and patterning are highly variable in the previously unknown species Nectophrynoides uhehe. - Michele Menegon</div></figcaption></figure><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words">Toads that reproduce in water lay an impressive number of eggs — in some cases about 20,000 in a single clutch.</p><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words">“They can do that every couple of weeks,” said Dr. Mark D. Scherz, lead author of the study published November 6 in the journal <a href="https://vertebrate-zoology.arphahub.com/article/167008/element/7/0/Nectophrynoides/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:Vertebrate Zoology;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">Vertebrate Zoology</a>.</p><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words">“They lay those eggs and they develop into teeny, tiny tadpoles, of which only a fraction ever make it out of the pond,” Scherz, curator of herpetology at the Natural History Museum of Denmark and an associate professor of vertebrate zoology at the University of Copenhagen, told CNN.</p><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words">Live birth, in which the eggs are fertilized internally, by comparison, yields toad broods that are significantly smaller: around 40 to 60 toadlets. “The maximum we’ve ever recorded was, I believe, over 160 fully developed toadlets inside one individual,” he added.</p><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words">It’s the larger and more developed young that may have an advantage when they enter the world, whether hatched from eggs or born alive, Scherz noted.</p><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words">In 1905, German herpetologist Gustav Tornier found and described the first viviparous toad species, N. viviparus, in Tanzania. They measure no more than 1.5 inches (37 millimeters) long, have slender fingers with rounded discs at the tips, and glandular masses (sometimes referred to as “warts”) on their limbs. The toads come in a variety of hues, including white, pale gray, buttery yellow, caramel brown, earthy red or black.</p><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words">Scientists have since identified more than a dozen Nectophrynoides species that bear live young. N. viviparus is the most widespread species in the genus and the only one found in the Southern Highlands of Tanzania as well as the country’s Eastern Arc Mountains, where all other Nectophrynoides species live.</p><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words">But when animal populations are divided by great distances or geographic barriers — which is the case in many of the forest habitats where Nectophrynoides toads live — new species can emerge. Scientists previously found genetic variations between Tanzanian N. viviparus populations in the Southern Highlands and Eastern Arc Mountains. By 2016, researchers suggested that the population of N. viviparus toads outside of the Southern Highlands could, in fact, include different species.</p><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words">For the new study, the scientists reviewed 257 specimens — some more than 100 years old — from five museum collections in Europe, examining toads’ physical traits and extracting genetic data. The research team also listened to recordings of the toads’ calls, which can vary between species in audio frequency, duration, and the number and timing of acoustic “pulses.” (One tool for identifying such vocalizations, developed by another team of scientists in 2021, is called the repeat interval‐based bioacoustic identification tool, or RIBBIT.)</p><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words">Based on the toads’ vocalizations, their DNA, and subtle variations in body sizes and shapes of their toes and leg bumps, researchers identified three previously unknown Nectophrynoides species, naming them N. luhomeroensis, N. uhehe and N. saliensis. Some of the female specimens contained “large yolky eggs” that would nourish their young internally, the study authors wrote. Partially developed embryos inside other females confirmed that these species bore living toadlets.</p><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words">In addition to separating the outliers that were formerly classified as N. viviparus, the researchers also revisited the oldest N. viviparus specimens to confirm their identity and clarify what defines the species.</p><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words">“There’s no question that this is now correctly assigned,” Scherz said. “It’s really a game changer.”</p><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words">With nearly all the data coming from museum specimens, this work “underscores the importance of continued investment in taxonomy and natural history collections,” Santana told CNN in an email. “Working at the Field Museum, which holds specimens from all over the world, I’m constantly reminded that many new species are still waiting to be recognized.”</p><h3 class="mb-4 text-lg font-bold">Tree toads’ family tree is a work in progress</h3><figure class="relative mb-4"><div class="relative"><img alt="Nectophrynoides viviparus is found in a range of habitats in Tanzania. - Michele Menegon" loading="lazy" width="960" height="540" decoding="async" data-nimg="1" class="rounded-lg" style="color:transparent" src="https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/bIfKob9k.S1xlKeJZ49FHQ--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTU0MDtjZj13ZWJw/https://media.zenfs.com/en/cnn_articles_875/48b3df9f9b7af4b53b78894746e7b5b7"><button aria-label="View larger image" class="group absolute bottom-3 right-3 size-10 md:size-[50px] lg:inset-0 lg:size-full lg:bg-transparent" data-ylk="elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;"><span class="absolute bottom-0 right-0 rounded-full bg-white p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-white/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none"><svg viewbox="0 0 22 22" aria-hidden="true" class="size-4 lg:size-6" width="22" height="22"><path d="M12.372.92c0-.506.41-.916.915-.916L21 0l-.004 7.712a.917.917 0 0 1-1.832 0V3.183l-6.827 6.828-1.349-1.348 6.828-6.828h-4.529a.915.915 0 0 1-.915-.915M1.835 17.816l6.828-6.828 1.349 1.349-6.829 6.827h4.529a.915.915 0 0 1 0 1.831L0 21l.004-7.713a.916.916 0 0 1 1.831 0z"></path></svg></span></button><dialog aria-label="Modal Dialog" aria-modal="true" class="fixed inset-0 z-4 size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-white hidden"></dialog></div><figcaption class="relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5"><div style="max-height:none;overflow:visible">Nectophrynoides viviparus is found in a range of habitats in Tanzania. - Michele Menegon</div></figcaption></figure><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words">More work needs to be done untangling questionable specimens from existing species of Nectophrynoides, according to Scherz.</p><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words">Identifying the three species that are new to science “is a small part of the big puzzle of this genus,” he said. For example, the species N. tornieri, described in 1906, is now known to be a species complex, a group containing individuals that are genetically very similar but potentially different enough to be considered separate species.</p><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words">But Tanzanian tree toads face more pressing concerns than which goes where in the Nectophrynoides family tree. Their forest homes are increasingly threatened by human activities, political instability and the climate crisis. One species — N. asperginis, or the <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rspb.2024.1157" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:Kihansi spray toad;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">Kihansi spray toad</a> — is already extinct in the wild. N. poyntoni, or <a href="https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/54842/13323022" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:Poynton’s forest toad;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">Poynton’s forest toad</a>, though not considered extinct, has not been spotted in the wild since 2003 when the species was discovered.</p><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words">What’s more, the toads’ habitats have yet to be thoroughly explored, and scientists can only guess at how many unknown species in the region may exist, Scherz said.</p><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words">“Even if you go to these places a few times, often you’ll come back later, maybe with a different team, and you find things that you’ve never seen before,” he said. “Our picture of the distribution of these species is far from complete.”</p><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words">Mindy Weisberger is a science writer and media producer whose work has appeared in Live Science, Scientific American and How It Works magazine. She is the author of “<a href="https://mindyweisberger.com/book" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:Rise of the Zombie Bugs;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">Rise of the Zombie Bugs</a>: The Surprising Science of Parasitic Mind-Control” (Hopkins Press).</p><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words">Sign up for <a href="https://www.cnn.com/newsletters/wonder-theory?source=nl-acq_article" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:CNN’s Wonder Theory science newsletter;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">CNN’s Wonder Theory science newsletter</a>. Explore the universe with news on fascinating discoveries, scientific advancements and more.</p><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words">For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at <a href="http://www.cnn.com/account/register?source=external-feeds_iluminar&amp;cid=external-feeds_iluminar_yahoo&amp;registration_email_campaign=https://www.cnn.com/newsletters" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:CNN.com;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">CNN.com</a></p></div>

Researchers have newly described three extremely rare species of toad that leapfrog over the egg-to-tadpole stage and give birth to toadlets.

Newly identified species of Tanzanian tree toad leapfrog the tadpole stage and give birth to toadlets

Scientists newly described how a parasitic ant queen infiltrates another ant species’ colony and tricks the workers into killing their mother.

Scientists uncover an ant assassination scheme that helps a parasitic queen rise to power

Consuming nutrient rich natural products is urgent for good wellbeing and forestalling lacks. These delightful organic products are loaded with fundamental supplements that


Nutrient Rich Natural products: Lift Your Wellbeing


Investigating nature through setting up camp is a fabulous method for interfacing with nature and make enduring recollections. America offers


10 Picturesque Campgrounds That Will Raise Your Outside Involvement with American


The city's northern exit to Ramon Airport and Be'er Ora settlement will be open, however, for those wishing to reach those areas. Flooding and severe weather have forced the closure of Highways 12, 40, and 90, cutting off traffic to and from Eilat, Israel Police said Saturday.

Flash flooding causes highways to close to and from Eilat

Hockey players are now the internet's favorite boyfriends thanks to romance novels, a spicy TV show and TikTok's "boy aquarium" trend.

'Heated Rivalry' is just the tip of the iceberg. How hockey became the sexiest sport

Loosening up games offer a brilliant break from the burdens of daily existence, giving a quieting and pleasant experience. These games


Believe Should Unwind? Look at These Scaled down Games


Employing the right fender bender attorney can be the urgent variable that decides if your obtain brings about progress or


Figure out how to Separate Among Fledgling and Master Fender bender Legal counselors


Smoothies are a scrumptious and helpful method for partaking in a nutritious and reviving beverage. Whether you really want a fast breakfast, a post-exercise support, or a delicious treat, there's a smoothie flavor for each


Top Smoothie Flavor: What's Your Mix?


Ross, 43, joined ICE in 2015 and has spent the last 10 years as a deportation officer in Minnesota.

What we know about Jonathan Ross, the ICE agent who shot and killed Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis

Franciscan Health President and CEO Raymond Grady said a doctor and nurse lost their job, and the hospital publicly apologized.

She was moments away from giving birth. The hospital discharged her

As seniors age, they might encounter diminished versatility or wellbeing related issues that make getting to and leaving vehicles seriously testing. Luckily,


The most effective method to Guarantee Simple Availability in Seniors' SUVs


Rocket Lab launched a satellite for a "confidential commercial customer" on Thursday morning (Nov. 20), just a few hours after giving notice of the impending liftoff.

Rocket Lab launches mystery satellite for 'confidential commercial customer' (video)

A gothic classic, a heartbreaking memoir from the child of a family vlogger and a fast-paced Southern noir are among the best books I read in 2025.

I read 115 books this year. 'Wuthering Heights,' 'Heart the Lover' and 'The House of My Mother' were among my 10 favorites.

Presentation: Web-based entertainment powerhouses have turned into a strong power in the computerized world, molding patterns, impacting shopper conduct, and catching
