Scientists summiting Mount Po Ma Lung in Vietnam were gifted a surprise amphibian on their way back down the mountain. They were actually looking for Sterling’s toothed toad during a grueling eight-day survey of the mountain – but instead stumbled upon a new species with a bite all of its own.
It’s been given the common name Mount Po Ma Lung toothed toad, for obvious reasons, with the scientific name Oreolalax adelphos. It’s the second Oreolalax amphibian to be found in Vietnam – with the first being the Sterling’s toothed toad – and “adelphos” is Greek for brother, as a nod to the two toads’ relationship.
“The discovery of Oreolalax adelphos is a surprising finding and the result of a truly unforgettable day of searching, climbing to the mountain’s highest summit,” said ZSL EDGE Fellow and lead researcher on the paper Luan Thanh Nguyen, of Indo-Myanmar Conservation, in a press release sent to IFLScience. “Our initial goal on this trip was to find a Sterling’s toothed toad, but while surveying Mount Po Ma Lung under very challenging weather conditions, we came across what we’re thrilled to have uncovered a species that is new to science: the Mount Po Ma Lung toothed toad.”
“This important discovery in our Hoàng Liên Range amphibian research brings us one step closer to better knowledge of the true diversity of amphibians in Vietnam’s high mountain ranges.”
“We’re thrilled to have uncovered a species that is new to science.”
Image credit: ZSL
While it’s closely related to Sterling’s toothed toad, the scientists could tell they were looking at something else because it had unfamiliar markings. It’s spotted with black, cream, and grey, and has other unusual traits including a fold of skin behind its eyes, a mottled belly, and two-toned irises.
If the concept of toothed toads has you stumped, now’s a good time to tell you that yes, some toads and frogs have teeth. They can be maxillary teeth, like the saber-toothed frogs; or vomerine teeth, which is what our Mount Po Ma Lung toothed toad has.
The surprise discovery of the Mount Po Ma Lung toothed toad is a win for a region nicknamed Vietnam’s “froggy hotspot,” and an important step towards better conserving wild animals – including those species we don’t even know about yet.
“This is a very exciting new discovery, and one that highlights the need to protect the forests of the Hoàng Liên Range and their remarkable biodiversity,” added Dr Ben Tapley, London Zoo’s Curator of Reptiles and Amphibians. “Over the past 10 years, we have described 6 frogs and a snake as new species to science; now we have the important task of working with our partners to conserve them.”
The study is published in the journal Zootaxa.
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