New Species Found in "Lost World": Pinocchio Frog, More

This Pinocchio-like tree frog species was discovered by fortunate accident when it ventured into a Foja Mountains camp kitchen and perched on a bag of rice, where herpetologist Paul Oliver of Australia's University of Adelaide spotted it. Oliver was unable to find another of these frogs, and suspects that they stay mostly in the treetops.

The male frog's nose, the scientists were surprised to discover, points upward when the animal's calling and hangs flaccid when it's not. "Exactly what it is for, no one really knows for sure," Oliver said.



A pass of the flashlight revealed this new species of bent-toed gecko by its orange eyeshine.

Many of these geckos were seen in the trees, but a few were also grabbed on the ground for study.

"Interestingly the local guides, who were forest people and afraid of very little, refused to touch the geckos and would not catch them," added the University of Adelaide's Oliver. "I could not work out why they feared them."

As for the gecko, it was likely a bit perplexed by the appearance of an artificial light.

"People have lived in New Guinea for probably 50,000 years, and they live almost everywhere across the island," the natural history museum's Helgen said. "But these mountains are unique. There are no roads, no tracks, no people—and almost no human impact."



Very few people have set foot in these precipitous mountains, where knife-edge ridges and vertical cliffs rise to 7,200 feet (2,200 meters).

The Foja Mountains' topography and almost impenetrable forest cover make travel so difficult that even after the second, 2008 expedition, the Lost World remains largely unexplored—with potentially many more new species awaiting discovery.

Conservation International (CI) expedition leaders say they hope the current round of new species discoveries will encourage Indonesia to boost protection of the region—currently a national wildlife refuge—while it's still pristine.

"“Places like these," said CI senior research scientist and expedition member Bruce Beehler in a statement, "represent a healthy future for all of us and show that it is not too late to stop the current species extinction crisis."