''Synapturanus danta'' is a

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

of frog from the family ''

Microhylidae The Microhylidae, commonly known as narrow-mouthed frogs, are a geographically widespread family (biology), family of frogs. The 683 species are in 57 genera and 11 subfamilies. Evolution A molecular phylogenetic study by van der Meijden, et al. ...

'' 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 Suidae, pig, with a short, prehensile nose trunk (proboscis). Tapirs inhabit jungle and forest regions of South America, South and Centr ...

, 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 (Latin: ''holotypus'') is a single physical example (or illustration) of an organism used when the species (or lower-ranked taxon) was formally described. It is either the single such physical example (or illustration) or one of s ...

of the species is a male specimen collected in the Putumayo Province of Peru. The species name is derived from "rana danta", which is the local

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...

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 cocoa beans that can be a liquid, solid, or paste, either by itself or to flavoring, flavor other foods. Cocoa beans are the processed seeds of the cacao tree (''Theobroma cacao''); unprocesse ...

, 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 The Putumayo River or Içá River (, ) is one of the tributaries of the Amazon River, southwest of and parallel to the Japurá River. Course The Putumayo River forms part of Colombia's border with Ecuador, as well as most of the border with Per ...

. 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 ''Clusia'' is the type genus of the plant family Clusiaceae. Comprising 300-400 species, it is native to the Neotropics. The genus is named by Carl Linnaeus in honor of the botanist Carolus Clusius. Taxonomy The closest relatives of ''Clu ...

'' 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 peatland is a type of wetland whose soils consist of Soil organic matter, organic matter from decaying plants, forming layers of peat. Peatlands arise because of incomplete decomposition of organic matter, usually litter from vegetation, du ...

. 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, officially known as X since 2023, is an American microblogging and social networking service. It is one of the world's largest social media platforms and one of the most-visited websites. Users can share short text messages, image ...

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) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natural resources. Founded in 1948, IUCN has become the global authority on the status ...

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

tributary without any existing or proposed

dams A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use, ...

. The area around the type locality is minimally affected by

deforestation Deforestation or forest clearance is the removal and destruction 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. Ab ...

References

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