Ultra-tiny frogs discovered living like faeries inside pitcher plants

One of the world's tiniest frogs has been discovered in Borneo. At 10-12 mm long, Microhyla nepenthicola may be micro, but its croak is loud. That's how researchers found them, swimming in tiny puddles of water captured by pitcher plants.

A group of zoologists with Conservation International say they found the frogs by the side of the road in Borneo, near a national park. They were very hard to locate because of their small size, but the scientists followed the frog's loud calls and discovered them living among pitcher plants.

Frog's Loud Call







io9.com

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I never knew that there was a species of frog so small. It's incredible. Looking at the frog on the tip of the pencil let's you see just how "ultra tiny" they really are.

They are not juvinile frogs, but actually adults. Just amazing.

-Enjoy


[edit to add thanks to 12m8keall2c, loam, and projectvxn for the applause!]

[edit on 25-8-2010 by Oozii]



[edit on 25-8-2010 by Oozii]

[edit on 25-8-2010 by Oozii]

Thank you for posting, what beautiful little creatures.

The world we live in is a beautiful place.

Amazing!

These have got to be among the smallest of all vertebrates. I can't imagine vertebrates could possibly get much smaller than this. In fact, it's a far bit smaller than I would have thought was possible for such complex animals.

Those are so adorable I'm not one for the creepy crawlies but too cute...

pitcher plant would be the last place id think anything would be living in.

reply to post by Oozii


How cute is that!!! I suppose the tadpoles would have to be nearly microscopic!

It's hard to imagine something so little being able to emit such a loud sound.

To me, these creatures just confirm all of our original thoughts on species...
...and what we haven't discovered yet.

Imagine all the creatures that are amphibious, or mammalian that are so small, we haven't witnessed them yet.

This make me think about all the creatures that remain undiscovered around the world, and which ones we will never find....because of our own apathy.

Good find, OP.

I love frogs and those ones are soooo cute. I wonder what they eat. They are too tiny to help the bigger ones with mosquitoes. A mosquito could almost eat those tiny frogs

Originally posted by Oozii
Looking at the frog on the tip of the pencil let's you see just how "ultra tiny" they really are.

Many larger frogs will live their entire lives thinking they are all that.
But that little fella made it to the big times!

Are you guys 100% sure these have only just been discovered ... I pretty clearly remember playing with these frogs as a child when I use to live in the highlands in Papua New Guinea, I had like 5 of them as pets in a fish tank i made into a frog home, i remember they were very very small as i used to coach them onto the end of a paddle pop stick to pick them up ...


hmmm interesting maybe its a different species, they look very similar though.

oh, they are so cute...can't wait till they hit the pet stores!!

and I'd almost be willing to bet, they will be hitting the pet stores...then be let loose in the wild....and well, we can all catch our own after that....

[edit on 25-8-2010 by dawnstar]

Thanks for the replies.

@ King Loki

Here's a quote from the article, hopefully will clear things up.

Indraneil Das, a scientist involved in the discovery, said the frogs had been known for a while, but incorrectly:

I saw some specimens in museum collections that are over 100 years old. Scientists presumably thought they were juveniles of other species, but it turns out they are adults of this newly-discovered micro species.

BTW. How cool is that, you got to play with these when you were younger. Not everyone could say that.

It found a good place to find insects.

Then evolved small enough that it was comfortable to stay in there.

Ahhhhh. That is too cute! I just died of cuteness. I wonder how many times we may have encountered these thinking they were insects or whatever.

Ahhhhh. That is too cute! I just died of cuteness. I wonder how many times we may have encountered these thinking they were insects or whatever.

Originally posted by dawnstar
oh, they are so cute...can't wait till they hit the pet stores!!

Well there we go, they evolved and now live in unison with a pitcher plant... How happy would they be if they were bread and in a living room?

Just admire and let be.

Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww

Now if only they had tiny little kittens.. or ponies!

Originally posted by Bluebelle
Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww

Now if only they had tiny little kittens.. or ponies!

The cats would then need a smaller rat to chase

and a mini-miniature horse would look cool.

reply to post by Bluebelle


Ummm Tiny Unicorns>tiny kittens or ponies!

Unicorns. I'm just saying.

Originally posted by Oozii
Thanks for the replies.

@ King Loki

Here's a quote from the article, hopefully will clear things up.

Indraneil Das, a scientist involved in the discovery, said the frogs had been known for a while, but incorrectly:

I saw some specimens in museum collections that are over 100 years old. Scientists presumably thought they were juveniles of other species, but it turns out they are adults of this newly-discovered micro species.

BTW. How cool is that, you got to play with these when you were younger. Not everyone could say that.

ahh thanks man, i was thinking it was a bit strange, yeah well the coolness factor of these frogs is definitely there, i was thinking, was i playing with an undiscovered species when I was little and didnt even know lol