A New Species of Frog Has Been Discovered in the Amazon, It Hides With a Frog on Its Back.

A small species of frog that can develop its eggs in a natural pouch on its back has been officially described by researchers. The Peruvian Amazonwhich increases the recorded number of amphibian species in one of the most productive mountain areas in the South American region.

The discovery, announced in early April 2026, was published in the New Zealand scientific journal Zootaxa and is developed in partnership with Florida International University and the University of Seville in Spain. This species was identified by researchers affiliated with the Ceja de Selva Research Institute for Sustainable Development, which is part of the National University of Toribio Rodriguez de Mendoza in Peru.

A Unique Breeding Strategy Sets Species Patterns

A newly described, officially named amphibian Gastrotheca mittaliitisteps in between 2.7 and 3.3 inches in length and is characterized by the bright green color of the back and round pustules that cover its back. It was found in the subalpine páramo of the Amazonas department of Peru, in the Huancabamba area near the Ecuadorian border.

What sets it apart in the wider world of frogs is its method of reproduction. Although many species of frogs depend on standing or flowing water for egg development, Gastrotheca mittaliiti it uses a pouch on its back to carry and raise its young, which is a distinguishing feature of the family Gastrothecaa group of marsupial frogs native to Central and South America. According to the study of Zootaxa, phylogenetic analysis of mitochondrial and nuclear gene sequences placed a new species in the Gastrotheca marsupiata species group, identifying it as a sister species of G. trachyplevra.

Researchers distinguished it from related species by a combination of morphological features, including thick and highsupratympanic bone covered with closely spaced pustules, two prominent pustular ridges parallel to the spine, and narrow discs of fingers and toes with truncate terminal wings. The study also reported the first recorded presence of a related species, G. changeablePeru, along with new morphological data on the Peruvian population of the species.

Manuel Oliva, director of the Ceja de Selva Research Center, told Agence France-Presse that the discovery shows the depth of biodiversity that still awaits official documentation in the area. “If we continue our research, there are many species waiting to be discovered,” he said.

Habitat Destruction Poses an Immediate Threat

Despite the scientific interest generated by the discovery, researchers are divided Gastrotheca mittaliiti like a face a major conservation risk. Its habitat in the state of Huancabamba is being destroyed by a combination of climate change and fires set by farmers to clear the land, pressures that are reducing and fragmenting the mountain environment on which the species depends.

The area of ​​Huancabamba, according to the study, represents a large area of Gastrotheca richness of animal species, the way researchers talk about biogeographic and conservation. The optimal size of the wild population is G. non-union is still unknown, and the absence of reliable population data complicates any assessment of the extent of the threat it faces.

The discovery adds to a wider trend of discoveries of amphibians and fauna from Peru in recent years, in areas where difficult terrain and limited research facilities have left large parts of the fauna unexplained. According to me Ceja de Selva Research Institutecontinued activity in subalpine páramo-like environments may introduce new species.

Amphibians and amphibians are among the most threatened vertebrate groups worldwide, with habitat loss, disease, and climate change reducing populations on many continents. Newly described species, especially those with restricted areas and special habitats, are often among the most vulnerable since they were officially recognized.