A research team led by scientists from the University of Copenhagen has described three new species of the tree toad genus. Nectophrynoides from the mountains of the Eastern Arc of Tanzania.
Genus Nectophrynoides belongs to the family Bufonids and so far consisted of 13 recognized species endemic to the rainforests and grasslands of Tanzania.
Commonly called tree toads, members Nectophrynoides demonstrate viviparous reproduction, which is extremely rare among frogs.
All types Nectophrynoides found in the mountains of the Eastern Arc, with the exception of Nectophrynoides viviparouswhich is also found in the adjacent southern highlands of Tanzania.
“The three new species of frogs belong to an unusual group of African toads of the genus Nectophrynoides” said Dr Christian Train from the University of Copenhagen and colleagues.
“Instead of laying eggs that hatch into tadpoles, female tree toads carry offspring inside their bodies and give birth to fully formed tiny toads.”
“This makes them one of the few amphibians in the world capable of internal fertilization and true viviparity.”
“It is common knowledge that frogs grow from tadpoles – this is one of the classic paradigms of metamorphosis in biology,” said Dr. Mark D. Schertz from the Natural History Museum of Denmark.
“But the nearly 8,000 species of frogs actually have a wide variety of reproductive modes, many of which are not very similar to this famous story.”
“Only a few species of frogs from South America and Southeast Asia have evolved similar strategies, making these toads a rare occurrence in the animal kingdom.”
“Viviparity is exceptionally rare among frogs and toads, practiced by less than 1% of frog species, making these new species extremely exciting,” said Dr. H. Christoph Liedtke, a researcher at the Spanish National Research Council.
During the study, the authors classified 257 specimens as Nectophrynoides viviparous difficult.
Based on their results, they identified three new species: Nectophrynoides luhomeroensis, Nectophrynoides uheheAnd Nectophrynoides saliensis.
“The description of three new species brings the number of known viviparous anurans to 20 species worldwide, of which 16 species belong to the genus Nectophrynoides“, the researchers said.
“The distinct reproduction and biology exhibited by these bufonids highlight the potential for functional loss if these species become extinct.”
“The risk of loss of these species and their contribution to amphibian functional diversity should prompt increased conservation efforts.”
“More research is needed to fully understand the behavior and ecology of these remarkable arboreal viviparous bufonids.”
The discovery is reported in paper in the magazine Vertebrate zoology.
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K. Train etc.. 2025. Muzeomics and integrative systematics reveal three new species of glandular viviparous tree toads (Nectophrynoides) in the Eastern Arc Mountains of Tanzania (Anura: Bufonidae). Vertebrate zoology 75: 459-485; doi: 10.3897/vz.75.e167008
