Extinct frog found

SOUTHERN LEYTE- Two species of frogs belonging to the Genus Platymantis were yesterday displayed at the National Museum in Manila. The frogs were discovered deep inside the rain forests of Hinunangan, Southern Leyte during a biodiversity survey conducted there last November 2011.

These species inhabit the mountainous mossy forests of the Nacolod Mountain Range in Southern Leyte" said Mundita Lim, head of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources' Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau. "Both species differ markedly from other known species of Philippine Platymantis frogs by their body size, color patterns,and advertisement calls," she added. "The two species belong to two different species groups, the Platymantis guentheri group and Platymantis hazelae group." The guentheri and hazelae groups are endangered frogs endemic to the Philippines.

Herpetologists from the Philippines and the United States are currently working on the formal taxonomic description of the newly-discovered frogs.

The study which aims to generate species inventories to aid efforts to conserve biodiversity was conducted as part of two environmental preservation projects of the German Development Agency (GIZ), DENR, the United Nations Development Programme and the Global Environment Facility.

The month-long ground surveys were conducted by a team composed of members from Fauna and FIora International, the National Museum and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. The surveys also recorded a total of 229 floral species and 212 terrestrial vertebrates species many of which are endemic to the Philippines.

"Despite its infamous reputation of having highly fragmented and degraded forests, this impressive list of fauna and flora demonstrates the underappreciated biodiversity of the Philippines," the DENR noted.(By: Angelyn Book)

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