SYDNEY, Oct. 5 (Xinhua) -- A new frog species which closely resembles the Graceful tree frog (Litoria Gracilenta) been discovered in Australia's largest virgin forest in northern Queensland.
The frog which was discovered in Queensland's Cape York was only determined to be a new species on Sept.27 after undergoing rigorous test for a year, scientist Dr Jodi Rowley told Xinhua on Wednesday.
Rowley said her colleague Keith McDonald from the Queensland museum had first laid eyes on the Cape York tree frog scientifically known as Litoria Bella in 2000 during one of his field-work outings.
However, it was only recently that the frog was determined to be a new species after a science journal had verified their work and published the findings of the new species in their journal.
Rowley said work undertaken to determine on whether the Cape York tree frog was new species was done alongside with the Australian museum since last year.
"By looking at differences in its appearance, as well as its advertisement call and DNA, we now conclude that the Cape York Graceful Tree frog is a distinct species, bringing the number of known frog species in Australia to 239, " McDonald in the Australian museum blog.
"The scientific name of this new species, Bella, means beautiful' and this striking new frog certainly lives up to the name, with its bright green head and back, orange belly, bright orange hands and feet, iridescent bluish purple inner thighs," McDonald said.
"The discovery of this little green gem of the frog world is further evidence that we have a long way to go to fully document and understand the amazing biodiversity of northern Australia," he said.
Rowley said the discovery of the new frog species was a momentous occasion for the scientists as globally, one third of the world's frogs were threatened with extinction.
"It's fantastic to discover this wonderful looking frog in our backyard and they are not threatened," Rowley said.
She also said that the Cape York tree frog can be distinctly recognised from their calling which she says was "amazing" to hear.
"The call of the [male Cape York graceful tree frog] is longer and lower with fewer pulses and slower pulse rate," Rowley said.
"One of the unusual things about these frogs is instead of calling separately, they all call at once so you hear a chorus of them," she said.
