Three new frogs discovered in remote area

By Stephen Beech

Three new types of frog have been discovered in a remote part of the Andes.

The secretive species were found during a series of gruelling expeditions between 2021 and 2024 to the cloud-shrouded peaks of the Cordillera de Huancabamba in northern Peru.

The frogs - named Pristimantis chinguelas, Pristimantis nunezcortezi and Pristimantis yonke - were discovered by researchers as they trekked through forests and along mountain trails, often in areas with no road access.

Peruvian herpetologist Germán Chávez, who led the research, said: “They’re small and unassuming, but these frogs are powerful reminders of how much we still don’t know about the Andes.”

Each frog tells a different story, according to the team's findings published in the journal Evolutionary Systematics.

P. chinguelas, discovered on a cliffside, has a body dotted with prominent large tubercles on both sides.

Its high-pitched “peep” can be heard on humid nights, according to the researchers.

P. nunezcortezi lives near a cool mountain stream in a regenerating forest.

With large black blotches on axillae and groins, it was named in honour of ornithologist Elio Nuñez-Cortez, a conservation trailblazer in the region.

P. yonke, the smallest of the three, was found nestled in bromeliads at an altitude of nearly 3,000 metres (9,800 feet).

The researchers explained that its name nods to “yonque,” a sugarcane spirit consumed by locals to brave the highland chill.

Study co-author Karen Victoriano-Cigüeñas said: “Exploring this area is more than fieldwork - it’s an immersion into wilderness, culture, and resilience.”

Co-author Ivan Wong said, “Many of these mountain ridges are isolated, with no roads and extreme terrain.

“The weather shifts within minutes, and the steep cliffs make every step a challenge.

"It’s no wonder so few scientists have worked here before.

"But that’s exactly why there’s still so much to find.”

But the researchers warned that the frogs' future is uncertain.

The team observed signs of habitat degradation, fire damage, and expanding farmland.

The species are listed for now as "data deficient" under International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) criteria.

Co-author Wilmar Aznaran added: "The Cordillera de Huancabamba is not just a remote range - it’s a living archive of biodiversity and cultural legacy.

"And we’ve barely scratched the surface.”