‘Miniature’ mountain creature — with ‘squeaker’-like call — discovered as new species

A “squeaker”-like sound pierced the air of a mountain forest in Rwanda.

The call came from a “miniature” creature sitting on the forest floor. Scientists found the source of the sound — and discovered a new species. J. Maximilian Dehling ventured into the Nyungwe Forest on several trips between 2010 and 2018, he wrote in a study published Oct. 23 in the journal Diversity.

During these surveys, a “very small” frog caught his attention. He found six of these “miniature” frogs and, taking a closer look, discovered a new species: Arthroleptis nyungwensis, or the Nyungwe squeaker frog.