Scientists from the Natural History Museum in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe have discovered the Arthroleptis troglodytes, a rare frog otherwise known as the "cave squeaker frog" in the Chimanimani Mountains of Zimbabwe 54 years after it was first discovered in the same location.
The elusive cave squeaker frog was first discovered in 1962 and was rediscovered for the second time on December 3, 2016 after a team of researchers mounted a thorough search for it. The frog was thought to have become extinct or critically endangered since it had not been found by anyone in over five decades and therefore considered one of the rarest amphibians still alive today.
Three Males and One Female of Cave Squeaker Frogs Were Found
The cave squeaker frog got its unusual name from where it chooses to hide itself, and can be easily identified by its distinguishable dark-red colors and its mucus-covered skin, the Inquisitr revealed.
The team of scientists that found the rare frog again for the second time found three males and a female, and Robert Hopkins, a 75-year-old research associate at the natural history museum was glad that his team found the specimens, even though he was not present when the discovery was made due to his old age.
According to Hopkins, "I was not with my team when they were found. I was at the base. I can no longer climb the mountains as I am 75."
Authorities Will Take Steps To Prevent Illegal Poaching of This Frog
Meanwhile, the rediscovery of the cave squeaker frog came at an auspicious time - since it coincided with a scientific initiative launched six years earlier to search for critically endangered frogs and salamanders that had not been sighted for over 10 years.
Since scientists are afraid that poachers could capture and export the rare frog illegally to other parts of the world due to the buzz generated by its rediscovery, officials of the Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority stated they will do everything in their power to protect this rare find since they are aware that international scientists would fly into Zimbabwe to inspect the frog, US News reported.
However, Hopkins revealed international museums around the world have 16 specimens of the cave squeaker frog displayed, including the British Museum.
