CANBERRA, June 23 (Xinhua) -- Local people have been called upon to help in the search for a new frog species in the Australian state of South Australia (SA).
The mystery frog first came to researchers' attention when two recordings of a unique call, described as similar to "a creaking door," were uploaded to FrogID -- the Australian Museum's national citizen science project for frog research.
Now researchers have been granted funding from the Eyre Peninsula Landscape Board to learn about the new species.
Nothing is known about the species other than its call and that it is found at the southern tip of the remote Eyre Peninsula west of Adelaide, the capital city of SA.
Steve Donnellan, a biologist from the SA Museum, encouraged people in the area to listen out for the frog.
If it is discovered researchers will work with the local Aboriginal community to name it.
It would become just the fifth frog species known to inhabit the lower peninsula.
"Anyone with a mobile phone can record, and we'll be able to tell whether it's these guys or not," Donnellan told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation recently.
"Adding a fifth one is pretty important because that's adding another 20 percent to species' diversity."
Researchers believe the amphibian is likely related to the little brown toadlet, which is common across SA.
Donnellan said its discovery could help improve the understanding of how frogs are responding to the impacts of climate change and SA's exposed continental shelves.
"Several times in the last 2 million years, sea level has been quite a bit lower when we've gone through global glacier cycles and that's exposed a continental shelf," he said.
"Understanding a little bit about the frogs on the Eyre Peninsula, and their relationship with frogs in other parts of SA gives us really important clues about reconstructing past habitats." ■
