Mysterious ticking sound leads scientists to creature with green bones in Colombia

Tick, tick, tick. The sound floated through the mountains of Colombia and caught the attention of several researchers. The mysterious call led to the discovery of a new species of see-through creature with green bones.

Researchers heard the unidentified sound in the ravines and headed up the mountain to find its source, study co-author María Toro wrote on Twitter.

Sitting near a creek in Pijao was the source of the ticking sound: a small green frog, according to a study published April 24 in the journal Zootaxa. Initially, the creature was thought to be a known species of glassfrog, but closer analysis proved otherwise.

Glassfrogs are distinguished by their “partially or completely translucent skin through which the internal organs are visible,” researchers said. So far, scientists have identified 158 different species of glassfrogs.

Researchers analyzed the creature found in Pijao and soon realized they had discovered a new species: the Pijaos’ glassfrog or Nymphargus pijao.

The Pijaos’ glassfrog has green coloring on its back and a see-through stomach, the study said. The species’ colors “vary from dark green to light green,” some have small yellow spots while others have orange-yellow spots or no spots. Its eyes have a “silver white” iris.

Photos show the creature almost looks like it’s covered in small specks of glitter. The tiny frog can reach about one inch in size and has green bones, the study said.

Researchers studied the Pijaos’ glassfrog’s internal and external characteristics, DNA, call sound and tadpoles to determine it was genetically and morphologically distinct from other similar species. They evaluated these characteristics with recently caught specimens as well as older reports, sightings and preserved specimens.

The new species was named after ”the Pijaos, an indigenous ethnic group known for their strong opposition to Spanish colonization,” the study said. “The Pijaos people originally inhabited the central Andes mountains of Colombia.”

The name also references the Pijao area where the species was commonly found, researchers said.

Toro wrote on Twitter that she hopes the new species will serve as an emblem for the Pijao area’s protection and biodiversity.

Pijao, Quindío, is about 175 miles southwest of Bogotá and nestled in the Andes mountains.

Google Translate was used to translate María Toro’s posts on Twitter.

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