They discovered a new species of red-eyed frogs in Ecuador and named it “Led Zeppelin”.

His shocking red eyes captivated the researchers, who decided to name the new species of land frog discovered in Ecuador Led Zeppelin, with the aim of drawing attention to the conservation of amphibians and in homage to the british rock band.

Pristimantis ledzeppelin, including specimens they measure between 2.4 and 3.6 centimeters, has been described for science by Ecuadorians David Brito and Carolina Reyes, scientists at the Museum of Zoology at the Private University of San Francisco in Quito.

Both collected three specimens of this frog between 2016 and 2019, in the community of Río Blanco, in the Amazonian province of Zamora Chinchipe (south-east and border with Peru). His research was published this week in the trade journal Neotropical biodiversity.

The name is a tribute to the British group which reached its peak in the 1970s. “We are lovers of rock music and this group in particular,” Brito told AFP. Reyes, for his part, indicated that with this striking name, they intend to “promote the conservation of the Ecuadorian Andes by taking this species as a flag”.

The researcher, who in six years of work has described twenty species of amphibians for science, told AFP that at this time “this is the first time that we have put a name that does not refer to anything related to the locality or Ecuador or a character they influenced ”.

Race against time

The specimens of Pristimantis ledzeppelin they first caught the attention of Brito, who was drawn to his red eyes. Although he saw frogs with this characteristic, they also had different colors and sizes. “It’s a super pretty frog because it has red eyes and the color pattern differs a bit between males and females. Some males have white reticulations that resemble stripes, between shades of brown and black. They are very dark tones mixed with yellow “explained the scientist.

This new species has orange, copper and yellow spots on English. It is morphologically more similar to Pristimantis muscosus, from the Cordillera Central to northern Peru. However, Led Zeppelin is easily distinguished by a rounded muzzle with a small rostral papilla. “It’s pretty attractive,” Brito said.

For now, the Cutin species of Led Zeppelin (common name) is considered endemic to the Cordillera del Cóndor,

a mountain range east of the main body of the Eastern Andes and with rich flora and fauna.

Although more studies should be done on the ecology of the species, the Pristimantis Led Zeppelin It is considered threatened due to the fact that animal husbandry, agriculture and mining activities are carried out in its habitat.

The new species will likely only be found in this restricted area, so it is important to consider new long-term initiatives for small vertebrate conservation actions.

In Ecuador “we have many species to describe. It’s a race against time because of the threats they face, ”said Reyes, who is in Portugal for doctoral studies.

With information from AFP

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