The Starry Dwarf Frog illustrated in the picture above is a newly discovered species of frogs earlier this year whose ecosystem is the Western Ghats Mountains of India. According to Specktor (2019), the species has recently been scientifically described as Astrobatrachus kurichiyana which translates to the starry dwarf frog. The writer further describes the species as ancient and has quietly avoided human detection for millions of years living among the fallen leaves of the mountains. The size of the species is about the size of an adult human’s thumbnail, and it is said to be the only known species in a family that has never before been described by scientists. Scientists have referred to the species as oddball because it has had no close relatives such as a sister species for millions of years.
The frogs have a reversed circadian rhythm to humans in the sense that they sleep during the day and hunt during the night. It is this adaptation that has allowed them to be oblivious to humans and remain unknown for so long thereby ensuring safety from predators and avoiding extinction like their close relatives. Other than the reversed sleeping patterns, the species is tiny and brown colored allowing it to perfectly camouflage among the fallen brown leaves of the forest out of sight from predators and other curious eyes –humans and their activities such as overhunting and pollution. Ultimately, the species’ brown skin has a galaxy of light-blue speckles on the back that aids it in blending into the surroundings at night thereby avoiding detection and predators.
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While the species has no direct influence and impact on the human community, it has significant implications on the scientific community in the sense that it cautions researchers and zoologists regarding the potential existence of other animal species that continue to influence the food chain but remain unknown to the scientific community. Further, the species being one of its kind with no close relatives, cautions scientists and biologists on the need to conserve and preserve such endangered species from extinction. According to Monastersky (2014), of all the species that existed on earth since 3.5 billion years ago, ninety-five percent have vanished through extinction. Monastersky further postulates that even though thousands of species are under threat today, the exact number of species at risk of extinction is much higher. Indeed, one of the contributing factors is the lack of early discovery of some species such as the Astrobatrachus kurichiyana allowing for their relatives to die off. Joining this conservation conversation is Frank Larsen a conservation scientist at conservation International who ascertains that the world is losing species –which is a big concern that needs dealing with because the natural world is fundamental in supporting human societies, (Peeples, 2010).
References
Monastersky, R. (2014). Biodiversity: Life–a status report. Nature News , 516 (7530), 158-161. Retrieved from https://www.nature.com/polopoly_fs/1.16523!/menu/main/topColumns/topLeftColumn/pdf/516158a.pdf
Peeples, L. (2010). Scientists urge tougher efforts to preserve biodiversity. Live Science. Retrieved from http://www.livescience.com/8803-scientists-urge-tougher-efforts-preserve-biodiversity.html
Specktor, B. (2019). Newly discovered 'starry dwarf frog' wears a galaxy on its back, hides in dead leaves. Live Science. Retrieved from https://www.livescience.com/64975-starry-dwarf-frog-hides-in-dead-leaves.html
