New bullfrog species discovered in Vietnam

A group of scientists from the US, Canada, Singapore and Vietnam have announced a new species of bullfrog they have found in Vietnam.

They named the new bullfrog Kaloula indochinensis, which was selected on the basis that the living area of the species is Indochina, which includes three countries: Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam.

The new bullfrog is 44-54 mm in length for males, and 39-54 mm in length for females, with orange spots in the neck area behind the eyes and other characteristics to distinguish it from other bullfrog species.

Phung My Trung, the manager of the website “Vietnam Forest Creatures” and a researcher of forest animals, said that Kaloula indochinensis is found in forests in the Central Highlands province of Gia Lai and the Dong Nai Cultural Nature Conservation.

This is the third species of bullfrogs recorded in Vietnam, after normal bullfrogs and striped bullfrogs, Trung said.
The new finding was announced in Herpetologica, an international scientific magazine on amphibian and reptile species, this month.