Sounds from roadside ditch lead to discovery of ‘horned’ creature in China, study says

Peculiar sounds emanating from a mountain in China led a group of researchers to discover a new species of “horned” amphibian.

Researchers conducting a field survey on Mount Hengshan, an isolated peak in Hunan Province, in June 2021 began hearing pulsing calls as evening approached.

The rhythmic calls, which continued for hours, piqued the researchers’ curiosity, according to a study published on Oct. 3 in the journal Vertebrate Zoology.

Upon investigation, they found the noises were coming from a cluster of small amphibians.

“Calling male frogs were found sitting in a roadside ditch,” researchers said, adding that others were perched on plants or seated in shallow water.

Twenty of the frogs were collected, euthanized, preserved in an alcohol solution and whisked away to a local university for taxonomic investigation.

Genetic analysis then revealed that the croaking creatures were members of a previously unidentified species.

The species belongs in the genus Boulenophrys, a family of Asian horned frogs, and was given the name hengshanensis in a nod to the mountain where it was discovered.

The frogs display “distinct” characteristics that distinguish them from other members of the genus, said the researchers, who are affiliated with local universities.

Namely, they are missing teeth on their upper jaw and are missing a notch on their tongue. The brown frogs, which measure around 1.5 inches long, also have “horn-like” growths on their upper eyelids.

The species is only known to dwell on Mount Hengshan, which, though isolated, is a popular tourist destination, which could pose a problem.

“The potential threat to all amphibians in Mt. Hengshan is mainly human disturbance from tourist areas,” researchers said.

There are about 6,000 known species of frogs worldwide, according to the American Museum of Natural History.

This story was originally published October 4, 2023 at 5:17 PM with the headline "Sounds from roadside ditch lead to discovery of ‘horned’ creature in China, study says."