New species of toad on Fansipan peak

Scientists have just recorded a new species of toad at the top of Mount Fansipan, Lao Cai. The results published in the famous American scientific journal are Copeia on July 10.

The new species of toad has scientific names like Oreolalax sterlingae Nguyen, Phung, Le, Ziegler & Boehme, 2013 . They are of medium size, males have a body length of about 37mm, females about 45mm; Their eardrums are hidden. The point of attention is that the genital spines in the chest and fingers of the new toad species are usually only pronounced during the breeding season.

The new species of mountain toad is named after an American scientist, Dr. Eleanor Sterling, who has a lot to contribute to biodiversity research in Vietnam, especially the biodiversity discovery program in Vietnam. High peaks of Vietnam such as Fansipan, Tay Con Linh, Pu Mat, Huong Son and Ngoc Linh.

"As soon as I took the sample, I suspected it might be a new species of Vietnam, because in memory, I have never seen such a strange mountain toad in the documents that I have known , " said the researcher. Phung My Trung, Administrator of Vietnam Forest Biology website, member of the research team said.

On a trip with Ho Chi Minh City's Fan'sFans group to conquer Fansipan peak on April 30, 2010, after a tiring day walking from Tram Ton (1,900m) to a resting place at an altitude of 2,800m, both The group lost because of the long, tall slopes of Fansipan peak. The rains on slippery roads contribute to the power of the whole team.

When it arrived, it was dark but the rain became heavier. The cold seeped into the members ' bodies in the 'no winter' area, causing them to huddle and shiver, because they had never faced such cold weather. Even so, people still try to eat a little to get strength for tomorrow to climb and get into a warm sleeping bag.

As an independent researcher, seeing that this is a rare opportunity for Phung My Trung to approach, acquire specimens and take beautiful pictures, he decided to join a guy who led the H'Mong people. proceed to the highest peak (3,143m) in the night despite danger.

The Oreolalax sterlingae mountain.(Photo: Phung My Trung)

The slippery muddy road sometimes caused Mr. Trung to fall. The raging winds blew at an altitude of nearly 3,000m, along with the drizzling raindrops and dense fog that made his teeth "hit each other" continuously and endlessly, Trung recalled. At an altitude of 2,900m, where the shallow stream is filled with moss-covered mother rocks and lots of bushes of the Bamboo family (Poaceae). When the light swept near the thick fog, Mr. Trung discovered that two mountain toads were in love and he had collected samples.

Mr. Trung said, "Knowing that it disturbs the couple's happy moments, but realize that they have the characteristics of new species and are a rare opportunity to see them again, so I take samples for research. science".

"Then the cold penetrated deep into my body, causing my stiff footsteps to tell me the limits of the stop . " He and his friend H'Mong stopped walking, curled up in a sleeping bag, outside covered with cold jackets, raincoats and a waterproof tarpaulin to prevent cold.

"The two of us waited for the morning in the dark night and the wind and mountain screams. Tomorrow when those misty misty clouds will receive the rays of dawn and the wind together chase them to heaven and At that time, I was able to take photos of the landscape to get evidence of new species later, " Trung recalled.

Disclosure and difficulties

'Just a new species of toad but it is the result of the hard work and efforts of many researchers' , said Dr. Nguyen Quang Truong, working at the Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources.

Mr. Truong said, after measuring the toad data, the team analyzed DNA and concluded that it was a new species for science and recorded a new breed in Vietnam, because many people knew it. This toad breed is only distributed in China.

The research team divides the work for each person. Dr. Le Duc Minh (Hanoi National University) performs analysis and comparison of molecular biology. Dr. Nguyen Quang Truong analyzed specimens of other mountain toad species stored in museums in Paris and France; in Bonn, Germany and in Kunming, China.

Mr. Trung said, most of the published works of this frog group are described by Chinese scientists in Chinese, so the translation describes the species distributed in China to English, he and other members have to ask colleagues at the Sichuan Biological Institute.

After more than a year of data collection, the draft of the paper was finally completed and submitted to Copeia magazine, a prestigious journal of the American Fish and Reptile Research Association (ASIH). This is also a magazine that has published many articles announcing new varieties Oreolalax and many species of this genus.

After two criticisms by experts within a year, the manuscript was accepted by Copeia magazine at the end of 2012 and sent to print."The magazine then asked the authors to pay a high publishing fee of US $ 110 for a printed page, equivalent to $ 1,100 for the entire article. Fortunately, Prof. Wolfgang Boehme is a member. ASIH's honor, so this fee is exempted , " Trung said.

Also according to Mr. Trung, somewhere in deep forests, deep mountains in Vietnam there are new species that have not been discovered and published for Vietnam and the world. But to have the glory on the scientific path are newly discovered species, then publish not only need researchers with in-depth knowledge, but also a heart of passion and passion, love for with work."Hopefully in the future, Vietnamese scientists will continue to have more discoveries and discoveries," Trung said.