A new frog species has been discovered in KZN

Updated June 10, 2025, 5:36 a.m. | By East Coast Breakfast

A brand new, adorable frog species has just been discovered in KZN’s Midlands, proving that nature still hides epic surprises in plain sight!

New frog species, Breviceps batrachophiliorum, discovered in KZN. (Photo: Nick Evans)

Guess what, KZN; we’ve got ourselves a brand new frog on the block!

A tiny, round little rain frog just hopped its way into the scientific spotlight, and it’s kind of a big deal.

Meet Breviceps batrachophiliorum. Big name for a small frog, right?

It’s Latin for “frog-loving people”, which makes sense because this little guy was discovered thanks to a trio of local frog fanatics.

Nick Evans, Dylan Leonard, and Cormack Price.

New frog species, Breviceps batrachophiliorum, discovered in KZN. (Photo: NWU)

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According to NWU, these three amphibian adventurers went out one rainy night on a mission to find a rare frog named after Bilbo Baggins (yes, like the Hobbit).

Instead, they stumbled across something no one had ever seen before.

They snapped a pic, recorded its cute little croak, and sent it over to frog expert Professor Louis du Preez.

At first, Prof thought they’d mixed up the photo and the sound, until he watched a video and realised this wasn’t in any of his books.

It was a completely new species!

After some serious frog detective work (involving frog calls, DNA tests and all kinds of sciencey stuff), it was officially confirmed.

A brand new rain frog species had been found right here in the Midlands.

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So what makes this frog special? Well, it’s got a visible eardrum (rare for its type), a quirky little mouth position, and a super speedy call that sounds nothing like its relatives.

It’s short, chubby, and blends right in with the soil. He’s technically a master of hide and seek.

This might sound boring to some, but this discovery shows there’s still so much to explore and uncover in our own backyards.

Nature’s still full of surprises. So stay curious, KZN!