mobile icondesktop icon
separateurCreated with Sketch.

Find out why this species of frog is named after a 3-year-old girl

SYLVIA,TREE,FROG
whatsappfacebooktwitter-xemailnative
Sophia Swinford - published on 08/15/18
whatsappfacebooktwitter-xemailnative

The newly identified species is now officially known as “Sylvia’s Tree Frog.”

DONATION WEEK

Before Black Friday, use this week to support Aleteia in its evangelizing mission.
Your donation will bear fruit, making hope shine every day.


Make a tax-deductible donation

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.

Did you enjoy this article? Would you like to read more like this?

Get Aleteia delivered to your inbox. It’s free!

Enjoying your time on Aleteia?

Articles like these are sponsored free for every Catholic through the support of generous readers just like you. Please make a tax-deductible donation today!

Help us continue to bring the Gospel to people everywhere through uplifting Catholic news, stories, spirituality, and more.