Tiniest Andean Frog Can Sit on a Dime

Herpetologists have discovered a new species of frog in the Andes cloud forest. Noble’s pygmy frog, as it is called, is so tiny it can sit on a dime, which makes it the smallest frog in the Andes mountain region.

Male Noble’s frog, a new species discovered in the cloud forest of Peru / photo from Photobucket

Jeremy Hance, reporting for Mongabay, writes that:

The tiny frog took biologists by surprise since as a general rule species in higher altitudes tend to be larger than similar species in lower regions. Measuring at less than half an inch, the Noble’s pygmy frog is not only the smallest frog in the Andes, but one of the smallest vertebrates in the world above 3,000 meters.

Click here to read Hance’s full article about the frog’s discovery.

In case you were wondering: a herpetologist is not someone with herpes or physician who treats people with herpes. A herpetologist, or “herp” for short, is a zoologist who studies reptiles, amphibians, turtles and crocodiles.

The word herpetology comes from the Greek herpeton — reptile or literally “creeping thing” (Online Etymology Dictionary). From the shared Greek root herpes (literally “creeping”) comes the Latin name herpes for “a spreading skin eruption.”

And, no, although some frogs do secret poions that can irritate the skin, frogs do not transmit warts or herpes to human beings. Those skin ailments are caused by the human herpes virus.