Colorful Rediscovery: Rainbow Toad Found After 87 Years
Posted by: Loren Coleman on July 14th, 2011
After months of searching the remote forests of Borneo, researchers spotted three rainbow toads up a tree, snapping the first-ever photographs of this elusive amphibian species that had not been seen for 87 years, scientists announced on July 13, 2011. Conservation scientists thought the chances of spotting the spindly-legged toad were slim. It was suppose to be extinct!
Last seen in 1924, the Bornean rainbow toad (Ansonia latidisca), until this rediscovery, had only been seen in illustrations of the mysterious and long-legged toad from those collected by European explorers in the 1920s. The old drawings of the species do no justice to the vivid colors seen in the rediscovered toad. More details, see here.
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Loren Coleman no longer writes for Cryptomundo. His archived posts remain here at Cryptomundo.
What a cute little fellow! I’m always amazed on how anyone can find or even refind these small critters, especially in a place like Borneo. The jungles are dense and difficult to navigate. A perfect place for a toad to hide!
I do love the colors on this one. Is it poisonous? It looks to me that it’s color is more for hiding than a warning.
Now all the internet needs is a picture of this frog quoting Monty Python. “I’m not dead yet!” indeed, little guy.