Comments on: New Frog Species Discovered in USA!

By: DWA

DWA — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 16:32:46 +0000

Echoing other comments here: the USA hasn’t been combed over nearly as much as people – unfortunately, scientists in particular – think.

Most people seem to think we expanded and expanded and covered the continent, leaving only little woodlots and natural oases protected as parks and wildernesses. What has actually happened is:

1) We’ve sent tendrils all over. Our expansion has been by drawing lines, not blanketing the continent from end to end. We’ve flat missed a lot in this process.
2) In some places, lots of tendrils connect and people collect at those junctions (cities and towns).
3) We’ve actually withdrawn from huge acreages (what used to be individual small farms and small settlements, much of which land has begun to revert to a natural state). There’s more forest in the East now than there was at the time of the American Revolution, for example.
4) We’ve virtually extirpated what was a very large native human population that was here when we first arrived – and knew much that we simply didn’t listen to or record because we knew more than they did.
5) Evolution continues. This new species of amphibian could have evolved very recently – in our national history, not in geologic terms.

It’s particularly disheartening to me that this discovery – which seems to me rather routine – is being trumpeted, and by people who should know much better, as amazing. Because the clear implication is that we know virtually everything else.

We’re not close.

By: SOCALcryptid

SOCALcryptid — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 05:00:39 +0000

mystery_man, I agree about North America as a whole. In the Northern Territory there are so many lakes, streams, forested areas etc. that have not been explored. Numerous lakes as you know are only accessible by a Float Plane. Globally we have only scratched the surface. That’s for sure. It has been exciting and informative reading all the new species being discovered here on Cryptomundo. mystery _man, your comments are informative as are other regular bloggers on this site. Thanks

By: Point Radix

Point Radix — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 02:06:53 +0000

Is this an altogether new species or just new to the US (and existing somewhere else)? There are many ways for amphibians to be accidentally dispersed. Natural expansion (or shifting) of the ranges of species is also a possible consequence of climatic change.

By: mystery_man

mystery_man — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 00:05:13 +0000

SOCALcryptid- I agree with you. I also think there are likely plenty of new species yet to be discovered not only in the United States, but in North America as a whole. While it has been relatively well studied, there are still in my opinion isolated areas that could hold some surprises. Also, you never know where a new species that has evaded detection is going to pop up. I think it is a little too soon to say that we’ve studied the continent to the point that there’s nothing left to find. And you are very right about amphibians being a gauge of environmental health, since they are especially sensitive to pollution and other changes to their ecosystem. I’ve said it here before that they are sort of like the canary in the cage for miners when it comes to impending environmental problems like pollution or climate change. Finding a new species of frog in good health is not only an exciting discovery, it is sign that the environment of that area is probably in pretty good shape which can only be a positive thing.

By: SOCALcryptid

SOCALcryptid — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 18:46:54 +0000

Also a frogs health can tell us about it’s environment. Lets hope this species is in good health and not full of toxins or on the verge of extinction.

By: SOCALcryptid

SOCALcryptid — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 18:39:56 +0000

I get excited when a new species is discovered. I enjoyed reading the above post but Why do people think it is remarkable to find something new in the States. I think there are a lot of things yet to be discovered here in the United States and through out the world. We as humans are arrogant to think we just about discovered everything. In fact there are less people out in our forests and wild places here in the U.S. than in centuries past. We do not have Native Americans following seasonal routes anymore. We have less fur trappers,prospectors and mountain men wandering around in wild lands. Now we have big cities, towns and highways to go about our daily lives. My point is there are less people today out in our wild unexplored areas than ever before. Meaning less chance of discovery. There has been a explosion of new species being found in the past few years because of funding and more people are now going deeper out in the field than in years past.
Well thats my two cents for the day. Thanks for the post Loren.

By: Saint Vitus

Saint Vitus — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 15:21:02 +0000

It is very exciting to hear of a new frog species being discovered in the US! I am not surprised that it is a kind of chorus frog, these frogs are very secretive.

By: eireman

eireman — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 13:26:29 +0000

It would seem its discovery has come just in time when you factor in the way frogs and toads are inexplicably dying off in recent years.

By: Bob Michaels

Bob Michaels — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 05:10:44 +0000

Diligence pays off, congratulations!

By: red_pill_junkie

red_pill_junkie — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 05:10:00 +0000

What an amazing story!

What an amazing discovery!

AUUUUUUUU!

Oh!… excuse me, I’m still recovering from the eclipse