Guwahati Bent-toed Gecko

Reptiles > Geckos

Described in 2021 from forested hills in and around the burgeoning metropolis of Guwahati in Assam, India, the Guwahati Bent-toed Gecko (Cyrtodactylus urbanus) is a remarkable nocturnal reptile. Its discovery right on the outskirts of an urban center underscores the...

Sydney’s Pygmy Pipehorse

Fish > Seahorses & Pipefish

Sydney’s Pygmy Pipehorse (Idiotropiscis lumnitzeri) is a remarkably cryptic syngnathid fish native exclusively to the temperate coastal reefs of southeastern Australia. Reaching barely two inches in length, this miniature relative of seahorses mimics branching...

Tapir Frog

Amphibians > Frogs

The Tapir Frog (Synapturanus danta) is an extraordinary burrowing microhylid frog discovered in 2022 in the pristine peat bogs of the Peruvian Amazon. Famous for its bizarre, downward-curving proboscis resembling a miniature tapir, it lives almost exclusively...

Zug’s Odd-scaled Snake

Reptiles > Snakes

Zug’s Odd-scaled Snake (Achalinus zugorum) is an elusive, subterranean serpent native to the karst forests of northern Vietnam. Formally described in 2020, this non-venomous burrower is celebrated for its remarkable iridescent dorsal scales that spread apart to...

Yaku Glassfrog

Amphibians > Frogs

The Yaku Glassfrog (Hyalinobatrachium yaku) is an extraordinary, jewel-like treefrog discovered in 2017 in the Amazonian lowlands of eastern Ecuador. Named ‘yaku’ from the indigenous Kichwa word for water, this miniature amphibian captivated evolutionary...