‘Large’-eyed forest creature found lurking in rocky crevice. It’s a new species
In a forest of southern China, a “long”-limbed creature tucked itself into a rocky crevice near a stream and began “chirping.” Its “large” multicolored eyes scanned the surrounding landscape, but it wasn’t the only one looking around.
Passing scientists noticed the lurking animal — and discovered a new species.
A team of researchers hiked into the mountains of Yunnan Province in June 2024 as part of a project to survey biodiversity in the less-studied region, according to a study published Aug. 8 in the peer-reviewed journal Zoosystematics and Evolution.
During the visit, researchers found three frogs in the rocks near a stream, the study said. Intrigued, they took a closer look at the animals and quickly realized they’d discovered a new species: Leptobrachella weixinensis, or the Weixin leaf litter toad.
Weixin leaf litter toads are considered “small”-sized, reaching just over an inch in length, the study said. Their heads are “triangular” with a “round” snout and “large” eyes “distinctly bicolored, typically orange in (the) upper half, silver white in (the) lower half.” Their arms and legs are “long” with “slender” fingers and “slightly swollen” toes.
Photos show the brown coloring of the new species. Its head has a black “inverted triangular” marking, and its belly is “creamy white” with some speckling, researchers said.
Weixin leaf litter toads were found around a stream with a “steep slope and low water temperature” in a mountain forest, the study said.
“Male toads were heard chirping in the cracks of huge rocks or under grass leaves beside streams,” researchers said. “The chirping sound was like a cricket and varied” when the toads were “stimulated by light or someone passing by.”
“After the environment stabilized, the chirping sound gradually returned to its former state,” researchers said. But “if further stimulated, such as by direct light, the toad stopped chirping, shrank into the cracks of the rocks, or crouched until it felt that the surrounding environment was safe.”
No female Weixin leaf litter toads were found, and much about the new species remains unknown.
Researchers said they named the new species after Weixin County where it was first discovered and, so far, the only place where it has been found. Weixin County is in Yunnan Province of southern China and a roughly 1,300-mile drive southwest from Beijing.
The new species was identified by its size, limb length, eye color, skin texture, head proportions and other physical features, the study said. DNA analysis found the new species had at least 2.5% genetic divergence from related species.
The research team included Nai-Yi Liu, Lu Chen, Wei Xu and Yun-He Wu.
This story was originally published August 13, 2025 at 9:23 AM with the headline "‘Large’-eyed forest creature found lurking in rocky crevice. It’s a new species."
