Purple Fluorescent Frog Species Found

Conservationists warn a purple fluorescent frog, one of 24 new species found in the South American highlands of Suriname, is threatened by illegal gold mining. Leeanne Alonso of Conservation International, which led the expedition that found the new species, says the discovery of so many species outside the insect realm is extraordinary and displays the need to survey distant regions. The two-tone frog, whose skin is covered with irregular fluorescent lavender loops on a background of aubergine, was discovered in 2006 as part of a survey of Suriname’s Nassau plateau. Scientists combing Suriname’s Nassau plateau and Lely Mountains found four other new frog species aside from the purple one, six species of fish, 12 dung beetles and a new ant species, the organisation said in a statement