Chocolate Frogs are Real in Peru

A previously unrecorded species discovered in the Peruvian Amazon recently has been going viral for its unusual appearance. Some liken it to a melted Tootsie roll, or to a chocolate frog straight out of Harry Potter. And check out that long nose! When new species go viral, it's usually because they have some fascinating characteristics either in looks or in how they impact our understanding of ecosystems. The Tapir Frog, while being small, has both.

Big long nose, like a tapir!

Quarter-sized, with a thick, blobby body ending in a distinctive pointed snout, the Tapir Frog is a striking creature, even if it spends most of its live hidden in soil and debris. That snout indicates that it probably spends most of its life nosing through the dirt. While most soil would be too hard and dense for frogs, who aren't known for being good diggers, the Tapir Frog has a rare and specific habitat where it thrives. The Amazon peatlands, damp areas where decaying plant matter litters the floor, make a perfect home for the tiny critters, who spend most of their lives underground, moving, eating, and laying their eggs, slipping in and out of the dense peat with their slick bodies.

Its discovery came as a result of a mass inventory survey in the Amazon, in a relatively untouched and unstudied area. Earlier that day scientists had discovered a tiny juvenile of the new species. Later, in the wee hours of the morning, they heard a strange peeping under the ground. After a frantic search, they dug up two adult male specimens, who had their genetic code analyzed to prove that they were indeed part of a new species. Germán Chávez, who spotted the frog along with a team of herpetologists (amphibian experts), shares in the sentiment that it "looks like it was made from chocolate."

While new to scientists, the Tapir Frog was already known by the local indigenous people of the Comunidad Nativa Tres Esquinas. When shown the frog, they identified it as "rana danta," or "Tapir Frog". Its scientific name is Synapturanus danta, the first name for the genus of frogs it's in, and the second being the local word for Tapir. One of its special abilities could be to be an indicator of Amazon peatland health: soil too dry would be uninhabitable for the little frogs. While only three specimens of this elusive frog were found and documented, scientists hope to uncover more to better understand the rich and rare ecosystem from which it comes.