The Shy Amphibian

First described in 1902, the frog Alsodes vittatus had been missing for over a century. 

But recently, scientists from the University of Concepción in Chile have spotted it for the first time in almost 130 years.  

“The main challenge in locating it was the lack of precision in the description of its type locality,” said researchers in a statement about their new study in the journal ZooKeys. 

The frog was first spotted by French entomologist Philibert Germain in 1893 at a former estate, the Hacienda San Ignacio de Pemehue in La Araucanía Region, Chile. He brought three specimens to German naturalist Rodulfo Amando Philippi, who scientifically described them in 1902. 

After that, it remained elusive.  

About a decade ago, study authors Claudio Correa and Juan Pablo Donoso found two populations of Alsodes in Chile’s La Araucanía region. However, the frogs didn’t show A. vittatus’ typical white or yellow stripe on the back, indicating they were part of a different species, researchers said. 

“In Germain’s time, the Hacienda San Ignacio de Pemehue was an estate of enormous size, and the naturalist did not specify the exact place where he collected the specimens,” the researchers added. 

To find the species, Correa and his team retraced Germain’s possible path through the estate, studying his writings and historical records. 

In 2023 and 2024, study authors Correa and Edvin Riveros attempted to reconstruct the route of Germain, entering the former estate from the southeastern end. As a result, the two populations of A. vittatus in the Lolco and Portales river basins in the La Araucanía region, meaning that, for the first time since 1902, scientists confirm the existence of a species that had managed to stay off the radar for over a century. 

The discovery is a crucial step for the protection of biodiversity in South America, say scientists. Most of the other frog species in the genus Alsodes are either at risk of extinction or haven’t been studied enough for scientists to assess their conservation status. Understanding their habitats and behaviors is the first step toward protecting them. 

“The rediscovery of A. vittatus allowed us to obtain, more than a century after its description, the first biological and ecological data on the species,” noted the researchers. “Field observations also indicate that this amphibian faces several significant threats and that it could be considered endangered.” 

Correction/Clarification: In Friday’s DISCOVERIES section, we said in our “New Neighbors” item that Barnard’s Star is the closest star to our solar system. According to the American Astronomical Society, Barnard’s Star is the nearest single star and the second-nearest star system to Earth – the triple-star Alpha Centauri system is closer. We apologize for the error.