Author: Sharon King

Researchers in China recently came upon what they initially believed to be a new species of salamander. It was…but the creature turned out to be an old, if elusive, friend.

According to an article published last year, the creature, now designated Hynobius bambusicolus (aka the Fujian bamboo salamander), was first discovered in 1978. Observers at the time only got a fleeting glimpse of the amphibian, a "dark-chocolate-colored" creature that blended in with the mud in its habitat--the blue speckles on its underside would only be discoverable if it were unhappily overturned. It then disappeared—at least to those who sought after the creature—and was supposed to have gone extinct.

Surprise! Over 40 years later, researchers exploring a bamboo forest in the area stumbled across the salamander once more, lurking in the mud and under leaf litter, logs and other typical amphibian habitat. Their surmise that this was indeed a new species was confirmed by DNA testing, which proved the Fujian bamboo salamander was genetically distinct from other species in the area. These salamanders are also unique in their ability to vocalize, emitting a short squeak or "alarm call" when probed (Can you blame them?).

Hynobius bambusicolus is a large creature (reaching up to 71/2 inches) and, with estimates of only 200 individuals extant in the wild, is considered critically endangered. This is especially true because, ahem, it has been observed cannibalizing its kin! Scientists recommend its habitat remain as undisturbed as possible, with people encouraged not to collect or otherwise engage with the population.

Welcome, new old friend! We hope you flourish in private. And find other things to eat!

Amphibians have been much on our minds recently here at RARN.

The first story, dating from a few months back, is that of the newly-designated Kermit frog. This is, alas, not a creature we 21^st-century folk will ever actually stumble across. What was discovered is actually a frog's fossilized skull, 270 million years old, with a "cartoonishly wide-eyed face" that reminded researchers of everyone's favorite Muppet, Kermit the Frog. While the fossil of the proto-amphibian was excavated in Texas quite some time ago, it was only "rediscovered" in 2021 by a scientist doing his digging in the archives of the Smithsonian! The researchers came up with the iconic name, Kermitops granus, as a way to connect the modern public with the work of paleontologists. Good job!

Our second saga concerns the annual Frog Jumping Jubilee, held with much fanfare in the charming Gold Rush town of Angels Camp, California. 2024's contest was won by The Frog Father, which was encouraged (but not browbeaten) by its sponsor Lillian Fasano to finish with a record-nearing triple jump totaling 20' 5 ½"! This contest, going back many decades, was spawned by the story "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County" by America's great author and satirist, Mark Twain. The success of the short story (published in 1865 during Twain's stay in the Mother Lode country) is credited with jump-starting (pardon the pun) Twain's career as writer and orator. Though the event is not without its controversies—many are skeptical of the exploitative nature of the contest—it is much less hard on the frogs than in Twain's tall tale!

And finally, on an up-close-and-personal note: just this week, a wee froggie (that's him or her in the photo) came to us at RARN. It was rescued by a kind fellow in Hollywood who happened to spot this cute-as-the-Dickens interloper near his fig tree and brought it to us. Our sharp-eyed president quickly identified the thumbnail-sized creature as an invasive species: a Cuban tree frog. After a bit of research, we found out that these guys have been spotted all over the place in Los Angeles, along with other tourist herps that are also apparently trying to make their Hollywood dreams come true. We will be on the lookout for more of these creatures! (And maybe you should too!)

In 2023, scientists and researchers recorded many fascinating creatures to add to our knowledge about life here on the planet. Among the nearly 1,000 new species discovered by the research team of the London Natural History Museum and the California Academy of Sciences were, not surprisingly, a number of reptiles and amphibians. But what a lineup!

The herpetological riches include the so-called "groins of fire" tree frog found in Peru, a nonvenomous snake also from Peru named after actor Harrison Ford (it's not his fault), a snail-eating snake from Ecuador named BY actor Leonardo di Caprio to honor his mother (aww), a croakless amphibian--the spiny throated tree frog from Tanzania--who may mate by touch (!), the lesser thorn-tailed gecko, found in western Australia, that can shoot…goo out of its tail, and a new species of legless skink found in the high mountains of Angola.

The articles reporting these revelations discuss only some of the complexities of these new discoveries from both plant and animal kingdoms. Some species were truly unknown. Others are rediscoveries of species thought extinct but which are in fact still hanging on for dear life. Other discoveries involve species which ARE extinct but because of their fossil traces, we now know about them. (Which is something, at least). Included in the discoveries are the Sierra Nevada red fox, thought extinct since 1930 (wrong!), several species of long-extinct bats, a monstrously large spider, a lightbulb anemone, a blind subterranean catfish, an oddly-snouted furry hedgehog (yes, you read that right), and a giant penguin--also sadly (but not surprisingly) extinct.

The announcement came in time to commemorate the 50^th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act in the United States. It also highlighted the importance of the act in the face of ongoing species devastation due to pollution, habitat loss, climate change, and deforestation.

Let us hope that 2024 brings other discoveries of all kinds of plant and animal life. And may it also bring humankind's renewed commitment to respect and protect the diverse living creatures that share the planet with us!

… here come the whiptails!

Actually, whiptail lizards have been around for quite a while. And scientists have for some time been aware of—and fascinated by--the unique gender qualities of these lizards, a species that is not sexual but unisexual. Who wouldn't be intrigued by lizards that are, essentially, all female—but which can still produce offspring with genetic variations (i.e. that are NOT clones)?

But it turns out the uniqueness of these winsome creatures points to an even more interesting theory concerning the evolution of a species. According to an article in Discover magazine, this particular species of lizard came up for study during research on how hybridization leads to different outcomes in their evolution. In evolutionary terms, hybridization sometimes produce genetic differences, and in other cases, it leads to entirely different species.

In this study of whiptails, the research seems to indicate that "genetic distance between parental genomes can predict hybrid outcomes and the likelihood of forming a new species due to hybridization." Specifically, it suggests that the divergence period between species needed for hybridization to result in unisexual lizards had to exceed at least ten million years. The study thus seems to conclude that, well, some things about sex are predictable, at least in whiptail lizards. It just takes a long time....

OK, who had "evolutionary outcomes" on their bingo card?

Some headlines just write themselves.

In an instance of (fictional) déjà vu, last fall, a United Airlines flight from Tampa to Newark had an unexpected—and sad to say, unwelcome—stowaway on board. It was, of course, of the ophidian variety—specifically, a common garter snake, both harmless and diminutive. The hapless creature, which had somehow strayed onto the aircraft, was discovered late in the flight, as the plane was taxiing into the destination airport. Seems it disrupted the passengers--who were "shrieking" and pulling up their feet--but limited its walkabout to business class. (Evidently, the snake either had business to do, or simply didn't wish to travel in coach. Who can blame it?)

The plane was able to land normally, and the snake was removed, though no details were forthcoming on what became of it. Let's just hope it was someone able to guide it to a rescue or shelter.

Or maybe make it the latest Hollywood star?  😉