{"id":442706,"date":"2025-12-12T16:32:24","date_gmt":"2025-12-12T16:32:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/442706\/"},"modified":"2025-12-12T16:32:24","modified_gmt":"2025-12-12T16:32:24","slug":"this-tiny-neon-frog-dwells-in-the-clouds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/442706\/","title":{"rendered":"This Tiny Neon Frog Dwells in the Clouds"},"content":{"rendered":"

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A strikingly orange frog that fits on a pencil tip lives among the clouds in Brazil. Scientists encountered the newly named species, Brachycephalus lulai, in the cloud forests that cloak the Serra do Quiriri mountain range in the south of the country. B. lulai only measures up to a little over a half-inch long\u2014female individuals are longer than males\u2014making it among the tiniest four-legged creatures on the planet. The species was named after Luiz In\u00e1cio Lula da Silva, Brazil\u2019s current president.<\/p>\n

The international team of scientists spent years tracking down wee amphibians in the Brachycephalus genus, which live in a limited range among leaf litter in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. Their colors vary from neon orange to more muted, green-tinged hues.<\/p>\n

\"InRAINBOW CONNECTION: <\/strong>Brachycephalus species come in a wide range of hues, including highlighter orange. Image from Bornschein, M., et al. PLOS One (2025).<\/p>\n

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The researchers said they found this petite species thanks to its distinctive mating call, groups of two brief pulses of sound that differ from the songs of other local members of the genus. After analyzing the frog\u2019s skeletal structure and DNA to confirm it is an undiscovered species, the researchers identified B. lulai\u2019s closest relatives as two species that also live in the Serra do Quiriri. The frog findings were published<\/a> in PLOS One.<\/p>\n

The team proposes that B. lulai be considered a species of Least Concern of extinction, due to a lack of serious threats to the frog and the current health of its environment. And as the local climate continues to grow wetter and cloud forests grow, they noted in the paper, so do the homes of Brachycephalus species. But some members of the genus do have particularly tiny ranges and face the risk of extinction. The authors hope to promote conservation efforts to ensure the survival of B. lulai and its petite relatives.<\/p>\n

Read more: \u201c<\/strong>The Queer Lives of Frogs<\/strong><\/a>\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

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\u201cWe seek to encourage the expansion of conservation initiatives focused on the Atlantic Forest as a whole, and on Brazil\u2019s highly endemic miniaturized frogs in particular,\u201d they wrote in the paper.<\/p>\n

To this end, they said they hope to create a wildlife refuge in the Serra do Quiriri area to protect B. lulai and its relatives, and ensure that the unique ecosystem is regularly monitored\u2014helping these mini frogs continue to thrive among the clouds. \"\"\/<\/p>\n

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Lead image: Luiz Fernando Ribeiro<\/p>\n