A fascinating rediscovery on the fringe of the Amazon shows the importance of protecting Earth's vital ecosystems.
A new study revealed that researchers found four Rio Santa Rosa mushroom tongue salamanders in 2022 — four decades after the distinctive species was first documented, the Miami Herald reported.
The findings, published in Zootaxa, describe two male and two female specimens of about 1.5 inches. They all have a "pale orange iris with dark speckles," per the newspaper. The females are pale orange with a dark brown band along their spines. The males are dark brown with faint orange undertones and white marks on their undersides.
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Definitely 👍 The creatures were located on pepper plants in a corn and banana field in the Ayacucho region of Peru. The area, 4,133 feet above sea level, is adjacent to a primary montane forest.
"The apparent ecological isolation of [the salamander], coupled with its recognition as a regional endemic species, suggests potential ecological plasticity but also highlights its vulnerability to habitat loss," the researchers wrote, according to the Herald. "Field surveys in neighboring regions, such as Junín and Cusco, could help delineate its range and identify potential corridors or refugia to support its long-term survival."
The paper highlights another milestone after researchers spotted a harlequin frog some 1,300 kilometers away. That amphibian was just one of myriad species, including 27 new ones, scientists recorded around the same time as the mushroom tongue salamander.
But like the rest of the Amazon rainforest, the Peruvian ecosystem is in dire straits. Fires in 2024 killed 15 people and destroyed vast swaths of land. With such loss of trees and other vegetation, the water cycle is at risk, as 50% of rainwater runoff is unavailable to be recycled.
To counter fires, deforestation, and drought, the Brazilian government is setting a conservation standard. In 2024, the destruction of the "lungs of the Earth" dropped to a low that hadn't been reached since 2015.
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