New frog species found in Mt. Guiting-Guiting

A new frog species was discovered at Mt. Guiting-Guiting Natural Park in Sibuyan Island in Romblon, highlighting the importance of protecting the island’s unique biodiversity.

In a post by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Mimaropa, the said species is barely the size of a microSD card and has drawn attention to the Philippines’ rich yet still largely undocumented biodiversity.

Filipino researchers from the University of Kansas formally described the species as the Platymantis guiting, a tiny forest frog found only within the Romblon Island Group.

Measuring an average of just 14 millimeters in length, roughly the size of a microSD card, the species is among the smallest frogs recorded in the Philippines.

The discovery, published in the Raffles Bulletin of Zoology on April 14, 2026, was led by researchers Camila G. Meneses, Kier Mitchel E. Pitogo, Syrus Cesar P. Decena, Christian E. Supsup, and Rafe M. Brown, following years of fieldwork and scientific analysis.

Although the frog was first observed on Sibuyan Island as early as 2004, it was initially thought to be Platymantis pygmaeus, a similar species found in Luzon.

Nearly two decades of repeated surveys, supported by genetic, acoustic, and morphological analyses, were needed to confirm that populations in Sibuyan and nearby Tablas represent a distinct species.

Despite their close resemblance, researchers found that the Romblon frogs are not closely related to P. pygmaeus, providing a clear example of convergent evolution, where unrelated species develop similar traits.

The new species is distinguished by its shorter limb proportions and a unique advertisement call marked by repetitive clicking sounds used for mate recognition.

Only the second miniature frog of its kind described in the country, P. guiting adds to growing evidence of the Philippines’ remarkable amphibian diversity, particularly in isolated mountain ecosystems.

The survival of P. guiting depends entirely on the protection and integrity of its forest habitat. Because of this restricted distribution, the species has been provisionally assessed as Critically Endangered under the guidelines of the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List, highlighting its vulnerability to habitat degradation and climate-related threats.

The species was named after Mt. Guiting-Guiting, Sibuyan Island’s iconic peak and a recognized center of endemism. Its discovery adds to the growing list of species unique to the Philippines and further increases the known diversity of the genus Platymantis.