#cophyla

Cophyla alticola by Christopher Raxworthy

A calling male Cophyla fortuna, a species of microhylid frog from Madagascar that my colleagues and I described this year. We called them the ‘lucky’ Cophyla because they may be able to withstand the deforestation that is fragmenting their habitat through a strong affinity with bamboo that the local people cultivate and maintain for use. . . . . . . #frog #madagascar #Cophyla #Cophylafortuna #Amphibian #beautiful #cute #animal #animals #frogs #treefrog #treefrogs #amphibians #amphibiansofinstagram #frogsofinstagram #microhylidae #naturalworld #herpetology #herps #herping #diversity #wildlife #fieldwork #zoology #photography #photographer #photographerson #photographersoninstagram #photographersofinstagram #rainforest https://www.instagram.com/p/B2R7irbhUAJ/?igshid=188tkugizu45p

A photo of the holotype of Cophyla fortuna, described TODAY in Zootaxa by my colleagues and me! He was calling his little heart out when I caught him! . . . . . #frog #madagascar #Cophyla #Cophylafortuna #Amphibian #beautiful #cute #animal #animals #frogs #treefrog #treefrogs #amphibians #amphibiansofinstagram #frogsofinstagram #microhylidae #naturalworld #herpetology #herps #herping #diversity #wildlife #fieldwork #zoology #photography #photographer #photographerson #photographersoninstagram #photographersofinstagram #rainforest (at Marojejy National Park) https://www.instagram.com/p/B0zFJvGhSWE/?igshid=4q8ab577aaz8

Meet the newest frog species from Madagascar: Cophyla fortuna! This species has been known about for quite a while, because it’s very common at low elevation on the mountain of Marojejy in northeastern Madagascar. Finally, using genetics, bioacoustics, and morphology, we have given it a name. We called it the ‘lucky’ Cophyla, because it is apparently quite tolerant to the habitat disturbance and destruction that is rampant in rainforested regions of Madagascar. It lives and reproduces in bamboo stands, which often are allowed to persist in the middle of rice agriculture. It might therefore hang on a bit longer than some other species in this area of Madagascar. It was published in the journal Zootaxa. For access to the PDF, you can request it on my website, http://www.markscherz.com/Publications. You can also watch a video of the male holotype calling here: https://youtu.be/Kjw10jofNSY . . . . . . #frog #madagascar #Cophyla #Amphibian #beautiful #cute #animal #animals #frogs #treefrog #treefrogs #amphibians #amphibiansofinstagram #frogsofinstagram #microhylid #microhylidae #naturalworld #herpetology #herps #herping #diversity #wildlife #fieldwork #zoology #photography #photographer #photographerson #photographersoninstagram #photographersofinstagram #rainforest https://www.instagram.com/p/B0x4qqaB7I8/?igshid=1kznbm5b9pjs3

The enchanting Cophyla occultans is a small narrow-mouthed frog species from Nosy Be, an islet off the northwest coast of Madagascar. When it rains, these frogs can often be seen sitting on leaves along paths, and males call with a high-pitched whistle. . . . . . . . #frog #madagascar #Cophyla #Amphibian #beautiful #cute #animal #animals #frogs #treefrog #treefrogs #amphibians #amphibiansofinstagram #frogsofinstagram #burrow #digging #naturalworld #herpetology #herps #herping #Cophyla_occultans #wildlife #fieldwork #zoology #photography #photographer #photographerson #photographersoninstagram #photographersofinstagram #rainforest https://www.instagram.com/p/B0GX97bBV4T/?igshid=1btc2uzxsbk9y

The three Cophyla species of Montagne d’Ambre, in the north of Madagascar. In order of appearance (and elevation of distribution): Cophyla maharipeo, C. noromalalae, and C. puellarum. These frogs were described in 2015 by my friend and colleague Dr. Andolalao Rakotoarison and co., but had been known for decades by that point already. This is one of the most frequently visited parks in Madagascar by tourists, and it is remarkable how long it took for much of its diversity to be described. Indeed, on our most recent expedition in 2017–2018, we discovered a number of further species that are now also awaiting description. . . . . . . . #frog #madagascar #Cophyla #Amphibian #beautiful #cute #animal #animals #frogs #treefrog #treefrogs #amphibians #amphibiansofinstagram #frogsofinstagram #burrow #digging #naturalworld #herpetology #herps #herping #diversity #wildlife #fieldwork #zoology #photography #photographer #photographerson #photographersoninstagram #photographersofinstagram #rainforest https://www.instagram.com/p/B0IzwGuh_gX/?igshid=zwwlaxz2rc16