Cacosternum cederbergense differs from other similar species in that it doesn’t have the dark line or streak from the eye to the iris.
Researchers have discovered a new species of dainty frog from the Cederberg region of South Africa. The frog, Cacosternum cederbergense with the common name Cederberg dainty frog, was first found in 1997 but, as with many species new to science, was mistaken for a related species known as the Karoo dainty frog.
Researchers Oliver Angus, Nicolas, Telford, Tyrone Ping and Werner Conradie, began studying the frog from 2021 to 2024 and collected specimens during the winter months in South Africa. From genetic analysis, as well as physical and sound-based analysis, the researchers determined the frog they were studying was indeed a species new to science. The Cederberg dainty frog is also the only known frog species that is found only in the Cederberg area, the researchers said.
Cacosternum cederbergense differs from other similar species in that it doesn’t have the dark line or streak from the eye to the iris; it has large glands near the jaw and also sports what the researchers call heart-shaped bumps on the hands. The pitch of its frog call is also lower that other similar frogs, and has adapted to survive in the colder environments of the northern Cederberg, the researchers said.
The Cederberg dainty frog is very small, about 10mm by 23mm wide. It is brown in coloration with darker splotches throughout its body. It lives in rocky outcrops and breeds in small pools of water after winter rains.
An abstract of the paper, “A new species of Dainty Frog (Anura: Pyxicephalidae: Cacosternum) and the first endemic anuran to the Cederberg region of South Africa” can be read on the Zootaxa website.
