Two new species of frog have been discovered in fast-
disappearing forests in the Philippines, boosting hopes for the
survival of the country's rich but threatened wildlife,
scientists said Tuesday. The new discoveries are a mottled brown
frog with red eyes and a broad yellow stripe running down its
back, and a yellow-green one not much bigger than a human thumb,
British-based Fauna and Flora International said. Country
director Aldrin Mallari said the finds should boost conservation
efforts in the Philippines, which has extremely diverse plant
and animal life but where many species are threatened by
extinction. "Many (environmental) institutions and funding
agencies have written off the Philippines because we only have
20 percent of our forests left," he said at a forum at the
National Museum where the finds were announced to the public.
"Yet many of these species, even if they are threatened, have
this resiliency." His team discovered the frogs in Leyte
island's Nacolod mountain range in November last year.