VietNamNet Bridge – Russian scientists recently announced the discovery of two spotted toad species in Khanh Hoa and Lam Dong, in central Vietnam.
The Kalophrynus cryptophonus species.
The two species are called Kalophrynus cryptophonus and Kalophrynus honbaensis.
The first toad species was discovered by researchers from the Vietnam-Russia Tropical Center in Bao Loc, Lam Dong Province. During their survey, scientists heard the strange sounds of toads. Following the sound, two weeks laters they found a toad of this species in a bamboo tube at a height of 800 m above sea level.
This toad species is small and has a pointed snout, but does not have light stripes on the sides, according to the Vietnam Forest Creatures’ website.
Kalophrynus honbaensis.
The second toad species was discovered in the Hon Ba Nature Reserve in Khanh Hoa Province. The species was found in evergreen forests at 1,500 m above sea level.
According to experts, the discovery of two new species of spotted toad in Vietnam has increased the number of Kalophrynus species to three. It also proves that Vietnam is a country with high biodiversity.
The new findings were released in the May issue of Zootaxa, a peer-reviewed scientific journal for animal taxonomists.
Son Nam