New species looks like Kermit the Frog

(YouTube)


Save Story
Leer en español

Estimated read time: 1-2 minutes

This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.

COSTA RICA — A recently discovered species’ resemblance to the Kermit the Frog has caught the Internet’s attention.

With a bright green body and large black and white eyes, the glass frog Hyalinobatrachium dianae looks a lot like the famous Muppet. Brian Kubicki, founder of the Costa Rican Amphibian Research Center, said he discovered the new species of glass frog in the Caribbean slopes of Costa Rica.

"I think it is great that this species is getting so much attention around the world,” he told CBS News. “Hopefully this will help increase the awareness of the incredible amphibians found in Costa Rica and the need to continue studying them and conserve their vital habitats."

The frog’s iris coloration is one of the features that helped distinguish the dianae as its own species, according to an abstract published in Zootaxa. The frog also has an unusual advertisement call that sounds like a “single tonal long metallic whistle-like note,” in addition to distinct morphological characteristics.

Like other glass frogs, the underside of the dianae is transparent, providing a view of the amphibian’s organs. There are currently 14 known species of glass frogs in Costa Rica, according to the research center.

The new species was named after Kubicki’s mother, Janet Diane Kubicki.

Related links

Most recent Features stories

Natalie Crofts

    STAY IN THE KNOW

    Get informative articles and interesting stories delivered to your inbox weekly. Subscribe to the KSL.com Trending 5.
    By subscribing, you acknowledge and agree to KSL.com's Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

    KSL Weather Forecast