Scientific discovered the cardamom green-litter frog (Leptobrachella neangi) from Cambodia, named in honor of Cambodian Herpetologist, Thy Neang. Before that, Leaf-litter Frogs have been found throughout the Southeast Asian forests, only a one individual of an unknown species had been recorded in the vast Cardamom Mountains.
Small group of “Leaf-litter Frogs” (Leptobrachella) can be found in abundance, throughout the Southeast Asian hilly evergreen forests. Cardamom Mountains, in southwestern Cambodia and adjacent Thailand are appears to be a place where Leaf-litter Frogs can be commonly found. Nevertheless, the strangest exception to this rule seemed to be in these mountains.
More than 70 Leaf-litter Frogs have been identified so far, especially using the genetics and frog call data as well as following new field work. Many of these species have small geographical ranges and are confined in to a single mountain block, and in some areas two or more species of Leaf-litter Frogs coexist along the same forested streams.
There is only one individual – a young frog that had just transformed from a tadpole and still has a tail, had ever been found in the Cardamom Mountains. That specimen could not be identified precisely because of its transformative stage. The researchers became curious, why they have not been more frequently encountered and what are the species of Leaf-litter Frog occurs in the Cardamom Mountains.
In December 2010, Cambodian biologists Thy Neang and Meanrith Kris were collected two adult female Leaf-litter Frogs in the Cardamom Mountains, providing sufficient data on adult morphology and genetics to formally describe the species to science. In the large geographical areas of Southeast Asia, species diversity of the Leaf-litter Frogs was largely unnoticed for centuries and only a handful of species were considered to exist.
Genetic analysis of the researchers has shown that the cardamom Leaf-litter Frogs is closely related to two species that occur in the hilly evergreen forests of western Thailand. Cardamom Mountains which are relatively isolated in southwestern Cambodia, contain the highest, wettest and largest tract of evergreen forest remaining in there is home to the cardamom Leaf-litter Frogs. Some species of amphibians and reptiles found only in the Cardamom Mountains, have been discovered and described by Thy Neang are contain in these isolated mountains.
Thy Neang made a significant contribution to the herpetology of his country, including the collaborative findings and descriptions of the other two Leaf-litter Frog species (Leptobrachella melica and Leptobrachella isos) from the Annamite Mountains in the northeastern Cambodia.
Ensure the conservation of the biodiversity of Cardamom Mountains is needed, while facing a threat. Scientifically naming of the species occur in there mountains will be important to proceed these conservation works.
Cover Photo : Thy Neang
