100-200 New Amphibians Discovered in Madagascar

A recent study documented the discovery of 100-200 new amphibian species in Madagascar.

One of the researchers, Dr. Miguel Vences, stated: “People think that we know which plant and animal species live on this planet. But the century of discoveries has only just begun – the majority of life forms on Earth is still awaiting scientific recognition.”

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The large numbers of new species counted by the 15 year inventory suggest the number of species in Madgascar, has been underestimated significantly. ( A great gallery of some of the frogs.)

Unfortunately, the rate of rainforest destruction there threatens animal life increasingly. In what may seem like a complete paradox, species are being being scientifically discovered for the first time, while they are being killed by widespread destruction like deforestation.

Also in Madagascar many wild frogs are eaten by the local people. A researcher named Richard Jenkins recently conducted a five month survey of hunters who delivered frogs to an eastern Madagascar restaurant. Over 3,000 frogs were taken to the restaurant and sold for consumption during the survey period.

To see more amphibians in Madagascar, see Dr. Vences beautiful slideshow.

Image Credit: Dr. Miguel Vences

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