Brachycephalus lulai is a tiny pumpkin toadlet measuring less than 14 mm in length. Credit: Luiz Fernando Ribeiro, CC BY
Despite the vast numbers of animal species already identified, the natural world is still capable of springing a few surprises. Deep in the cloud forests of the Serra do Quiriri mountain range in the southern Brazilian Atlantic Forest, an international team of scientists has discovered an entirely new species of tiny frog, named Brachycephalus lulai.
For s…
Brachycephalus lulai is a tiny pumpkin toadlet measuring less than 14 mm in length. Credit: Luiz Fernando Ribeiro, CC BY
Despite the vast numbers of animal species already identified, the natural world is still capable of springing a few surprises. Deep in the cloud forests of the Serra do Quiriri mountain range in the southern Brazilian Atlantic Forest, an international team of scientists has discovered an entirely new species of tiny frog, named Brachycephalus lulai.
For several years, the researchers have been combing this region to find and catalog Brachycephalus species, which are microendemic (found only in a small, restricted area) and vulnerable to extinction.
Distinct mating call
These tiny frogs are striking, with a bright orange body and distinctive green and brown freckles. With males measuring between 8.9 and 11.3 millimeters and females between 11.7 and 13.4 millimeters, they are among the smallest four-legged animals on Earth.
But it wasn’t this appearance that led to its identification. As the team wrote in a paper published in the journal PLOS One, they identified this new species of pumpkin toadlet by its unique advertisement call, a mating song unlike those of other known Brachycephalus in the area. It consists of groups of two short bursts of sound.
The scientists also used a range of other tools and techniques to be sure that this miniature orange frog was distinct from its relatives. These included CT scans to look at the skeletal structure and DNA analysis. The genetic material was compared with that of other species, revealing that the new frog is most closely related to two species that live in the Serra do Quiriri.
Divergent color variation of Brachycephalus species. Credit: PLOS One (2025). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0334746
The newly described pumpkin toadlet Brachycephalus lulai, discovered in the mountain forests of Serra do Quiriri, southern Brazil, and named in honor of Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Credit: Luiz Fernando Ribeiro, CC BY
Conservation efforts
In addition to identifying this new species, the study authors are calling for immediate conservation efforts to protect it and its relatives. "Through this tribute (the act of naming a new species), we seek to encourage the expansion of conservation initiatives focused on the Atlantic Forest as a whole, and on Brazil’s highly endemic miniaturized frogs in particular."
They combined this call to action with a practical solution for the region. "We propose the creation of the Refúgio de Vida Silvestre (RVS) Serra do Quiriri to protect this and other endemic species, without requiring government acquisition of private land."
The researchers also stress the need for continued monitoring of the frogs to detect any new or emerging threats to their habitat. And they want to conduct additional surveys in similar and adjacent mountain habitats to see if these tiny animals have a wider distribution.
Written for you by our author Paul Arnold, edited by Lisa Lock, and fact-checked and reviewed by Robert Egan—this article is the result of careful human work. We rely on readers like you to keep independent science journalism alive. If this reporting matters to you, please consider a donation (especially monthly). You’ll get an ad-free account as a thank-you.
More information: Marcos R. Bornschein et al, A new species of Brachycephalus (Anura: Brachycephalidae) from Serra do Quiriri, northeastern Santa Catarina state, southern Brazil, with a review of the diagnosis among species of the B. pernix group and proposed conservation measures, PLOS One (2025). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0334746
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