''Synapturanus danta'' is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

of frog from the family ''

Microhylidae The Microhylidae, commonly known as narrow-mouthed frogs, are a geographically widespread family of frogs. The 683 species are in 63 genera and 11 subfamilies, which is the largest number of genera of any frog family. Evolution A molecular phylo ...

'' that was described in 2022. It has an enlarged nose like that of a

tapir Tapirs ( ) are large, herbivorous mammals belonging to the family Tapiridae. They are similar in shape to a pig, with a short, prehensile nose trunk. Tapirs inhabit jungle and forest regions of South and Central America, with one species inhabit ...

, giving it the common name tapir frog.

Taxonomy

''Synapturanus danta'' was described in 2022 by Germán Chávez, a researcher at the Peruvian Institute of Herpetology. The

holotype A holotype is a single physical example (or illustration) of an organism, known to have been used when the species (or lower-ranked taxon) was formally described. It is either the single such physical example (or illustration) or one of several ...

of the species is a male specimen collected in the

Putumayo Province The Putumayo Province is one of the eight provinces in the Loreto Region of Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , ot ...

of Peru. The species name is derived from "rana danta", which is the local Spanish term for the frog, directly translating to "tapir frog". The species is part of

, a widespread family of over 650 species of mostly small frogs.

Description

''Synapturanus danta'' has a snout-vent length of 17.6 to 17.9 mm. The frog's nose is extended, resembling that of a

, giving it the name tapir frog. Furthermore its head is dorsally flat in lateral view, and its skin is colored brown, sometimes with yellow or orange spots. This skin color has drawn attention because of its similarity to

chocolate Chocolate is a food made from roasted and ground cacao seed kernels that is available as a liquid, solid, or paste, either on its own or as a flavoring agent in other foods. Cacao has been consumed in some form since at least the Olmec civ ...

, especially being compared to the chocolate frogs from the ''

Harry Potter ''Harry Potter'' is a series of seven fantasy literature, fantasy novels written by British author J. K. Rowling. The novels chronicle the lives of a young Magician (fantasy), wizard, Harry Potter (character), Harry Potter, and his friends ...

'' series of books and films. The frog is found in the basin of the Putumayo River. It was discovered in 2019 during an expedition meant to find out more about the basin's native species. The first specimen found was a juvenile male, which was less than a third of an inch long. Two more examples were found when the researchers heard a beeping noise coming from underground. They were found living under the roots of '' Clusia'' trees. It can be differentiated from other disc frogs due to its slender body shape, non-rounded fingers, and dorsally flat head in lateral view. Other disc frogs use their larger frame to dig deep into the ground, but ''S. dantas body shape is adapted for the looser soil in its native

peatlands A mire, peatland, or quagmire is a wetland area dominated by living peat-forming plants. Mires arise because of incomplete decomposition of organic matter, usually litter from vegetation, due to water-logging and subsequent anoxia. All types ...

. Peatlands are seasonally saturated ecosystems, with periods of high-water levels resulting in a matrix of pools formed by rainwater and unsaturated land sitting above the pooled water. It also has a distinct call, with a dominant frequency between 1.73 and 1.81 kHz, and a note length from 0.05 to 0.06 seconds. This species call has the highest dominant frequency range compared to the other species within its Genus with the closest range of 1.31 to 1.57 kHz being that of S. salseri. Synapturanus danta is thought to be essential to their ecosystem due to its ability to live in wet soil. The species benefits the soil and also helps with water infiltration.

In popular culture

A picture of the frog posted to

Twitter Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...

gained attention, with commenters noting the frog was a "smooth lil fella".

Conservation

The population and distribution of ''S. danta'' is largely unknown. It has not been assessed by the

IUCN The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN; officially International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natu ...

, but the article in which it was described suggested that it should be given the category

data deficient A data deficient (DD) species is one which has been categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as offering insufficient information for a proper assessment of conservation status to be made. This does not necessaril ...

. The Putumayo River is the only

Amazon Amazon most often refers to: * Amazons, a tribe of female warriors in Greek mythology * Amazon rainforest, a rainforest covering most of the Amazon basin * Amazon River, in South America * Amazon (company), an American multinational technology c ...

tributary without any existing or proposed dams. The area around the type locality is minimally affected by

deforestation Deforestation or forest clearance is the removal of a forest or stand of trees from land that is then converted to non-forest use. Deforestation can involve conversion of forest land to farms, ranches, or urban use. The most concentrated d ...

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q112119680 Amphibians of Peru danta Amphibians described in 2022 Frogs of South America