‘Flying’ creature with ‘disk’ toes found hiding in bamboo in Tibet. It’s a new species
In southeastern Tibet’s humid marshlands, a “flying” creature with yellow and orange webbing sat hidden in bamboo tubes.
Researchers conducting fieldwork in Medog County – a “biodiversity hotspot” south of the Himalayas – collected samples of the amphibian with “Y-shaped” toes and later identified it as a new species, according to a study published Feb. 24 in the peer-reviewed journal Zoosystematics and Evolution.
The newly identified Rhacophorus medogensis, or “Xizang flying frog,” belongs to a genus of flying frogs characterized by their webbed fingers and toes that form a Y-shape and expand into large disks at the tips, among other features, according to the study.
The Xizang flying frog is typically “reddish-brown” with an “x-shaped marking” and irregular chestnut spots, but some can be light green or light yellow, scientists said.
The species is considered to be medium-sized, with adult males measuring about 1.3 inches long, while adult females range from 1.9 to 2.2 inches long, the study said.
The Xizang flying frog is found only in Medog County, specifically in “shrublands, marshes, puddles, or slow-flowing ditches,” the study said.
This county is in southeastern Tibet, an autonomous region controlled by China, and is near the border with India.
Researchers said the installation of infrastructure in the region, including a road, has led to more field surveys which has “led to the discovery of new species.”
The very same infrastructure may also threaten the region’s biodiversity, and researchers said more surveys are necessary for conservation efforts, according to the study.
The research team included Shiyang Weng, Xiaolong Liu, Jianchuan Li, Guohua Yu and Junkai Huang.
This story was originally published February 25, 2025 at 1:06 PM with the headline "‘Flying’ creature with ‘disk’ toes found hiding in bamboo in Tibet. It’s a new species."
