Israel spring 2017 - tripreport online!
Posted: Wed May 10, 2017 7:59 pm
When I was a young boy I first read about the Hula Painted Frog (Latonia nigriventer) in the Collins Field Guide. There it was still grouped under the genus Discoglossus and was thought to be extinct since 1955. It actually was the first amphibian species to be declared extinct by the IUCN. No one saw this species until in 2011 a tiny population was rediscovered in the Hula Nature reserve in Israel.
Nowadays this species is well protected within the Hula Nature Reserve and several other populations have been found as well. What an amazing experience to see this once declared extinct, this huge and ancient frog species (a living fossil!) in the wild!
These animals can reach lengths of around 15cm but hide well. Most individuals we saw were hiding between thick reeds and typically had only the head visible between the floating algae.
Pictures by Laura & Bobby Bok, tripreport online under: https://www.herpsafari.nl/tripreports-o ... -4-israel/
Nowadays this species is well protected within the Hula Nature Reserve and several other populations have been found as well. What an amazing experience to see this once declared extinct, this huge and ancient frog species (a living fossil!) in the wild!
These animals can reach lengths of around 15cm but hide well. Most individuals we saw were hiding between thick reeds and typically had only the head visible between the floating algae.
Pictures by Laura & Bobby Bok, tripreport online under: https://www.herpsafari.nl/tripreports-o ... -4-israel/