Colorful Rediscovery: Rainbow Toad Found After 87 Years
Posted by: Loren Coleman on July 14th, 2011
After months of searching the remote forests of Borneo, researchers spotted three rainbow toads up a tree, snapping the first-ever photographs of this elusive amphibian species that had not been seen for 87 years, scientists announced on July 13, 2011. Conservation scientists thought the chances of spotting the spindly-legged toad were slim. It was suppose to be extinct!
Last seen in 1924, the Bornean rainbow toad (Ansonia latidisca), until this rediscovery, had only been seen in illustrations of the mysterious and long-legged toad from those collected by European explorers in the 1920s. The old drawings of the species do no justice to the vivid colors seen in the rediscovered toad. More details, see here.
About Loren Coleman
Loren Coleman is one of the world’s leading cryptozoologists, some say “the” leading living cryptozoologist. Certainly, he is acknowledged as the current living American researcher and writer who has most popularized cryptozoology in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.
Starting his fieldwork and investigations in 1960, after traveling and trekking extensively in pursuit of cryptozoological mysteries, Coleman began writing to share his experiences in 1969. An honorary member of Ivan T. Sanderson’s Society for the Investigation of the Unexplained in the 1970s, Coleman has been bestowed with similar honorary memberships of the North Idaho College Cryptozoology Club in 1983, and in subsequent years, that of the British Columbia Scientific Cryptozoology Club, CryptoSafari International, and other international organizations. He was also a Life Member and Benefactor of the International Society of Cryptozoology (now-defunct).
Loren Coleman’s daily blog, as a member of the Cryptomundo Team, served as an ongoing avenue of communication for the ever-growing body of cryptozoo news from 2005 through 2013. He returned as an infrequent contributor beginning Halloween week of 2015.
Coleman is the founder in 2003, and current director of the International Cryptozoology Museum in Portland, Maine.
What a cute little fellow! I’m always amazed on how anyone can find or even refind these small critters, especially in a place like Borneo. The jungles are dense and difficult to navigate. A perfect place for a toad to hide!
I do love the colors on this one. Is it poisonous? It looks to me that it’s color is more for hiding than a warning.
Now all the internet needs is a picture of this frog quoting Monty Python. “I’m not dead yet!” indeed, little guy. 😀