The newly identified species is now officially known as “Sylvia’s Tree Frog.”
First discovered in Panama in 1925, Sylvia’s Tree Frog went unrecognized for nearly a century before one persistent amphibian conservationist finally proved it to be a distinct species after 20 years of dedicated research.
The frog had been mistaken for a different species, the Splendid Tree Frog, until Andrew Gray proved otherwise. Curator of herpetology at Manchester Museum, Gray decided to name the newly discovered frog after his 3-year-old granddaughter, Sylvia.
He said, “It’s a biologist’s dream to get to name a species. To be able to find such a beautiful frog and to be able to name it after my granddaughter — it’s absolutely amazing.”
Watch the video below to see more.
How about discovering a brand new species of frog…and getting to name it! 🐸 pic.twitter.com/HO68nR6Hwz
— BBC North West (@BBCNWT) July 30, 2018
