Nectophrynoides uhehe toad.
BY SUKHDEV CHHATBAR
Tanzania has again drawn international attention in the scientific world after researchers confirmed the discovery of three new species of tree toads in mountain forests, strengthening the country’s reputation as one of Africa’s richest biodiversity sites.
The species found in the country’s Eastern Arc Mountains give birth to live young ones instead of laying eggs that undergo stages of metamorphosis as most frogs and toads do, according to findings published in the scientific journal, Vertebrate Zoology and reported by the Natural History Museum in London.
“These discoveries underscore the diversity of live-bearing toads, as well as the importance of protecting East Africa’s forests,” said Dr Simon Loader, Principal Curator at the Natural History Museum and an expert on amphibians.
The Museum said the toads had been “hiding in plain sight,” with DNA work helping scientists separate them from previously known species. They have been named as Nectophrynoides saliensis, Nectophrynoides uhehe and Nectophrynoides luhomeroensis.
Christian Thrane of the University of Copenhagen and one of the authors of the study, said earlier genetic work had indicated that scientists were dealing with “previously unrecognised diversity among these toads.” He added that by examining hundreds of preserved specimens in natural history museums, researchers were able to “describe these new species.”
The discoveries add to Tanzania’s long record of important scientific findings. In the Udzungwa Mountains, scientists have also described a new rainforest tree species, Tessmannia princeps. It is described in scientific literature as a large canopy rainforest tree from Tanzania, distinguished by its large size, buttressed trunk and high number of leaflets.
Tanzania is also known for the Kipunji, a rare monkey first discovered in 2003 during Wildlife Conservation Society surveys on the slopes of Mount Rungwe in the Southern Highlands.
WCS says later DNA and physical studies showed the kipunji was closely related to baboons, leading to the description of a new genus, Rungwecebus.
According to WCS, this was “the first new genus of an African monkey described in 83 years.” WCS says the kipunji is found in montane forests around Mount Rungwe, the Livingstone Ranges, Kitulo National Park and the Ndundulu forest in Kilombero Nature Reserve.
A 2008 census recorded only 1,117 individuals, leading to its classification as critically endangered. WCS describes the kipunji as “East Africa’s rarest monkey and one of the world’s 25 most threatened primates.”
In northern Tanzania, researchers Thomas Butynski and Yvonne de Jong also described the Manyara monkey, Cercopithecus mitis manyaraensis, as a new subspecies endemic to central northern Tanzania. The researchers said the subspecies was named after Lake Manyara, which lies near the centre of its geographical range.
According to the researchers, the Manyara monkey occurs from the Ngorongoro Conservation Area through Lake Manyara National Park to nearby forest reserves. Later scientific work noted that the subspecies had a restricted range in northern Tanzania and was listed as endangered because of habitat loss, degradation and fragmentation.
