Scientists Discover New Frog Species in…New York City?
- Posted on March 14, 2012 at 4:18pm by
Liz Klimas
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When scientists identify a news species, most would picture it being found in some remote, relatively unexplored place on Earth, such as the Amazon, Australian Outback or an ocean trench. What is less expected is finding a new species hiding in plain sight in one of the most populated cities in the world. But this is exactly where scientists spotted a new species of frog.
A Rutgers doctoral student identified a new species of leopard frog smack dab in the middle of New York City’s Staten Island. So how was this brand new species discovered from it’s densely populated, urban area? It croaked.
New species of leopard frog found in New York City. (Photo: Brian Curry via Rutgers)
The New York Times reports that its unique mating call gave it away:
On a foray into the wilds of Staten Island in 2009, Jeremy A. Feinberg, a doctoral candidate in ecology and evolution at Rutgers University, heard something strange as he listened for the distinctive mating call of the southern leopard frog — usually a repetitive chuckle. But this was a single cluck.
“I started hearing these calls, and I realized they were really distinct,” Mr. Feinberg said.
Three years later, Mr. Feinberg and four other scientists who joined him in multiple field and laboratory studies, are finally comfortable making their declaration: a new species of leopard frog — as yet unnamed — has been identified in New York City and a number of surrounding counties.
Feinberg was searching for southern leopard frogs, but what he found was entirely different.
Feinberg identified specimens in parts of New Jersey and to counties north of New York City, all within commuting distance of Manhattan.
Feinberg said in a Rutgers statement that it was surprising that the species went unrecognized for so long. This finding has other biologists surprised as well. The New York Times continues:
“Here is a brand-new species, and it’s not a species of bacteria or a barely visible insect,” said H. Bradley Shaffer, a professor in the department of ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of California at Los Angeles. “It’s a big amphibian, and kids have probably been catching and playing with it for years,” he said. “Even in an urban center like New York, where herpetologists have tromped all over for a century or more, there can be new species out there. That shows the importance of urban areas in terms of conservation and biodiversity.”
According to Rutgers, the frog is physically similar to the southern leopard frog, which could have helped mask its identity. Working with Cathy Newman, who is studying for her master’s in genetics at University of Alabama, and University of California-Davis, genetic analysis revealed the frogs had different DNA.
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Comments (72)
Onowicit
Posted on March 14, 2012 at 7:12pmnext comes fly’s,then lice.hail fire and the water will turn to blood……let my people go!
Report Post »joe.r.piehole
Posted on March 14, 2012 at 7:15pmYeah, that’s not gonna happen because biblical nonsense is as close to reality as fairy tales are.
Learn to think rationally and you won’t have to be afraid of an imaginary judgment by an all-powerful slavemaster in the sky.
Report Post »Onowicit
Posted on March 14, 2012 at 7:33pmJoe…uuh..hu,hu uh your a dumbass….
Report Post »SERUM
Posted on March 14, 2012 at 7:49pmHey joe, shut your fargin’ corkhole!
Report Post »Maji
Posted on March 15, 2012 at 12:03amIt’s not a new species…it’s a“ liberal politician” out of their suit!
Slimey,low down and the mouth is largest feature on the head!
Report Post »yougottabekidding
Posted on March 15, 2012 at 7:34amDarn we have to shut down New York City to protect this rare species.
Report Post »Has any one contacted the Green Peace?
They could protect them like they do the eagles and bats that die at wind farms!!!!!!!!
yougottabekidding
Posted on March 15, 2012 at 7:49amSorry lost my head.
Report Post »That’s only for the periodic bird that dies at a drill site
ICANHANDLETHETRUTH
Posted on March 14, 2012 at 6:24pmI think the frog has been cross bred with the O.W.S. freaks !!!!!!!!!!! LOL
Report Post »Obama Snake Oil Co
Posted on March 14, 2012 at 6:47pmNope, its teenage mutant democrats….it came when that kid took a dump on a police car…he is the guy. Its an offspring for Pelosi and Barney frank…sorry for the visual. The kid provided the fertilizer….
Report Post »TXPilot
Posted on March 14, 2012 at 7:05pmQuick!!…Kill It!!!….before the government uses it to take more people’s jobs and liberties away.
Report Post »TexBork
Posted on March 14, 2012 at 7:11pmIt‘s Bush’s fault. NYC inherited the frog from W.
Report Post »chips1
Posted on March 14, 2012 at 7:16pmWhen they cloned OWS, the used too much DNA.
Report Post »VoteRightDammit
Posted on March 14, 2012 at 6:09pmLast thing in the WORLD we need is some new species of Frenchmen.
Report Post »Onowicit
Posted on March 14, 2012 at 7:09pmHave they shut new york down yet
Report Post »ZomBrad
Posted on March 14, 2012 at 5:46pm“That shows the importance of urban areas in terms of conservation and biodiversity”
In other words, the EPA is what we all assumed it to be: a waste of time and money.
Report Post »USAMEDIC3008
Posted on March 14, 2012 at 5:51pmThere not new
Report Post »Progressives have been licking them for years
Better than toads
JACKTHETOAD
Posted on March 14, 2012 at 10:44pmBLASPHEMY! If I ever get the chance, I’ll pee in your hand. :)
Report Post »arfarb55
Posted on March 14, 2012 at 5:39pmLooks just like a frog! Need to empty the city of people lest someone steps on one!
Report Post »Old Truckers
Posted on March 14, 2012 at 5:36pmNow just try to get a permit to build a house in that area.
Report Post »@leftfighter
Posted on March 14, 2012 at 5:39pmGive the Left a week or so and the science proving Global Warming and/or toxic waste mutated it will be settled and it‘s all man’s fault.
Report Post »yougottabekidding
Posted on March 15, 2012 at 2:11pmSee any problem building a green facory that Hussain wants?
Report Post »Itsjusttim
Posted on March 14, 2012 at 5:11pmI understand that there is a new species of frog-people in New York also who can’t seem to keep themselves from out-bursts like a croaking frog.
Report Post »thegoldman
Posted on March 14, 2012 at 5:04pmYou want to know how many of them i have in my Backyard ?
Thousands and i live in Ma.
New species get a life !
Report Post »thegreatcarnac
Posted on March 14, 2012 at 4:54pmIt is really named the Lib-frog. It faces mecca and when it croaks …it is saying…’obama..obama..obama.’
Report Post »qpwillie
Posted on March 14, 2012 at 5:03pmWel then, STEP ON IT ……….. QUICK!!!!!!!!!!!
Report Post »pennameAnnec
Posted on March 22, 2012 at 1:04pmThat is so cool…, thanks for posting it.
Report Post »qpwillie
Posted on March 14, 2012 at 4:50pmWhat’s the big surprise about it being in NYC? Haven’t you people seen what happened with those teenage turtles in the NY sewers?
Report Post »ICEDRAGONNITE
Posted on March 14, 2012 at 4:48pmQuick we must abandon NYC to save this Frog from extinction. Now!!! This is a Nation emergency!
Report Post »All people of this nation must sacrifice some to help the frog so it may survive. We need a EPA study of 5 to 15 years and a financial impact statement all costing approximately 50 million dollars, then NYC must be turned back into the wetlands it was prior to 1492 to save this species. Another 75 billion.
Vote Yes to save the EPA and this FROG.
bigfatslob
Posted on March 14, 2012 at 4:59pmMy thoughts EXACTLY……..Empty New York…..establish immediate EPA control !
Report Post »weremoose
Posted on March 14, 2012 at 5:26pmEmpty NYC for 50 Million. hahahahahahaha
Probably a trillion or more (and that’s probably still well low). No worries though, we’ll just tax the rich.
Report Post »SERUM
Posted on March 14, 2012 at 7:35pm@ Iceddronnite
Just the opposite…we need to seal off the entire city with clear air tight plastic dome and then study them…very interesting!
Report Post »Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra
Posted on March 14, 2012 at 4:46pmIt looks like they found the offspring of Anthonty Weiner and Chuck Shumer.
Report Post »rs9
Posted on March 14, 2012 at 5:06pmperfect
Report Post »Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra
Posted on March 14, 2012 at 5:49pmIf you kiss the frog, it will promise to turn into a prince, but you won’t quite get a prince, it will be more of a duke, who will just turn out to be a rapist lacrosse player. Plus you will never get rid of the warts.
This frog is kind of like Obamacare, you don’t get what you think it is, and you will never get rid of it, and the aftereffects are quite unpleasent. And you thought Kermit was just cute.
Report Post »TheBurningTruth
Posted on March 14, 2012 at 4:42pmAren’t the eco-freaks hell-bent on preserving nature as it is? Shouldn’t that mean that this species should be hunted down and killed for the crime of altering the eco-system? Isn’t that what they want for humans?
Report Post »13th Imam
Posted on March 14, 2012 at 4:42pmThe bullfrog in my pond came out about a week age. Rather scrawny. Two large Green frogs a couple of days later. the Staten Island frog Looks alot like a green frog, leopard frog cross. no scientific name yet.
Report Post »martinez012577
Posted on March 14, 2012 at 4:40pmNow if the American people can start to notice and identify the rats, weasels, slugs, cockroaches, and chameleons running for office we can start to fix this place.
Report Post »watashbuddyfriend
Posted on March 14, 2012 at 4:38pmDoes this mean that there will be no more digging around NYC?
Report Post »spirited
Posted on March 14, 2012 at 4:38pmPink slime
>green slime.
Report Post »cookcountypatriot
Posted on March 14, 2012 at 4:34pmdeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeelicious
Report Post »lukerw
Posted on March 14, 2012 at 4:39pmI’m in… RoadHouse, Garlic Butter, & Fries… please!
Report Post »G.E.R
Posted on March 14, 2012 at 4:34pmIt’s the illegitimate son of Newt
Report Post »critterbait
Posted on March 14, 2012 at 4:33pmOnly one ???? HA HA HA
Report Post »lukerw
Posted on March 14, 2012 at 4:28pmNYC… Sewer Evolution, advancement!
Report Post »Harry Assenback
Posted on March 14, 2012 at 4:26pmTastes like Chicken.
Report Post »Beckofile
Posted on March 14, 2012 at 4:22pmStop all building, driving, usage of water and evacuate the city. New Rules just decided by Bloomberg and EPA.
Report Post »marhee9
Posted on March 14, 2012 at 4:22pmOf course. Who didn‘t think something wouldn’t evolve from the filth left by the OWS folks?
Report Post »http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMToF_H7rqM
HorseCrazy
Posted on March 14, 2012 at 4:21pmhow cute
Report Post »