‘Horned’ creature found living in puddles formed by leaky pipe on China mountain
In a small mountaintop village in southern China, researchers scoured the landscape for a population of frogs first discovered in the 1990s — the identities of which has been unconfirmed until now.
During their search, the team found a small group living near a leaky artificial reservoir amid plastic containers and other trash, according to a study published Aug. 21 in the peer-reviewed Biodiversity Data Journal.
“Water seeps out from the wall and flows out from the water pipe,” researchers said, forming small pools in and around the concrete structure, which support tadpoles.
Adult males were also heard calling out from under the vegetation, according to the study.
For decades, these frogs were believed to belong to a species called Boulenophrys minor. However, advancements in DNA analysis have helped experts reveal the true identity of this population as Binchuan horned frogs.
Their discovery in the mountains of Jiulong County represents a range extension of about 225 miles northeast from Yunnan Province where the species was first discovered, according to the study.
Researchers said they investigated two creeks in the town, both of which were “polluted by agricultural activities,” and found little evidence of the Binchuan horned frog in those microhabitats.
“Fortunately, this species appears to have adapted to an artificial habitat by breeding near a reservoir, which provides clean water,” researchers said. “Further conservation efforts for this population should focus on careful management of the reservoir to maintain a wet habitat.”
The encounter resulted in the first description of the species’ tadpoles, which have “yellowish” bodies with dark brown stripes and “golden speckles” around their eyes, according to the study. They have long tails which make up about three quarters of their total length, and a prominent mouth “disc.”
As adults, the frogs have “smooth” brown skin and signature “horn-like” bumps on its eyelids, earning its name, according to the study.
The research team inlcluded Tianyu Qian, Wenhui Liu, Huaming Zhou, Yujuan Guo, Feirong Ji, Cheng Li and Jianping Jiang.
This story was originally published August 21, 2025 at 11:28 AM with the headline "‘Horned’ creature found living in puddles formed by leaky pipe on China mountain."
