On a 38-day expedition in the foggy Alto Mayo forest, researchers discovered new species in Peru. The team from Conservation International ventured into the area located in the northern part of the country and encountered more than one surprise.
In total, the group identified 27 specimens that science had not previously documented.
Among them are a frog, an eel, and fish. All within the 780,000 hectares area in the department of San MartÃn.
New species in Peru: how was the expedition
“Páki” is the name given by Yulissa Tiwi to a particular frog she discovered. She gave it the name it had always had in her indigenous language. For her, that tiny creature was not a mystery, although it was for science.
The Pristimantis sp. frog: the “thief frog” or rain frog, recently discovered. (Photo: El PaÃs).[/caption>
“Our ancestors, our grandparents, always told us about it,” she told El PaÃs. “But to have it right in front of us was very exciting,” she added.
That frog is one of the 27 new species for science that the expedition by Conservation International discovered in Alto Mayo. The area is currently also “dominated” by the expansion of agriculture, illegal fishing, and other threats.
Discovered species
In 2022, a team of 13 scientists and seven Awajún assistants (indigenous community from the area) carried out a Rapid Biological Assessment (RAP) of one of the most deforested territories of the Peruvian Amazon.
Equipped with camera traps, bioacoustic sensors, and other technologies, they explored up to seven types of forests in Alto Mayo, ranging from 570 to 2230 meters in altitude. They searched for plants, fish, reptiles, amphibians, birds, mammals, butterflies, and beetles.
In total, 2046 species were recorded, including an amphibious mouse of the Daptomys genus, with water-adapted fingers, and three new amphibians: a narrow-mouthed frog, another of the Pristimantis genus, and a tree salamander.
They also found eight fish, 10 butterflies, and two dung beetles. Another 48 species are awaiting analysis that could confirm their novelty for science.
“Discovering four new mammals on any expedition is surprising, but finding them in a forest with a significant human population is extraordinary,” stated Trond Larsen, leader of Conservation International’s Rapid Assessment Program.
Since 1990, the program has documented over 1400 unseen species in critical sites worldwide. “These findings help us map areas with the greatest potential for conserving or restoring biodiversity,” he added.
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