Head of the South Kalimantan Regional Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Taufik Hidayat, confirmed in Banjarmasin on Friday that his agency has received reports of the discovery of the two new species.
The species have been officially named Limnonectes maanyanorum sp.nov. and Limnonectes nusantara sp.nov.
Hidayat said that the Limnonectes maanyanorum sp.nov., discovered on Mount Karasik, Central Kalimantan, was named in honor of the Dayak Maanyan people.
The Limnonectes nusantara sp.nov., found on the border of Hulu Sungai Selatan (Loksado sub-district) and Banjar (Paramasan sub-district), was named in honor of the Dayak Meratus people, he informed.
“Researchers from BRIN and Japanese universities conducted research in the Meratus Mountains. We received a report regarding the discovery of two new species of fanged frogs,” he said.
According to Hidayat, the discovery of the new species proves that the Meratus Mountains are a valuable heritage containing a wealth of natural resources.
It also strengthens the status of the mountains as a part of the Meratus Geopark, which was recently recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site after being designated a Global Geopark in France in June 2025.
Hidayat said that there are still many undiscovered species in Indonesia or even the world, which may be found in the Meratus Mountains. Therefore, strategic research steps, such as those recently undertaken by BRIN, are needed to identify them.
“Research in the Meratus Mountains does have its own challenges. In the future, we hope to collaborate with BRIN on research like this. We must unlock the existing potential,” Hidayat said.
The research on the fanged frogs was conducted by BRIN and two Japanese universities, led by Amir Hamidy, research professor of Herpetology at BRIN’s Biosystematics and Evolution Research Center.
Hamidy said that the discovery of the new species marks an important contribution to documenting the diversity of Kalimantan’s herpetofauna and underscores the crucial role of the Meratus Mountain region in the conservation of endemic species.
He added that currently, habitat destruction, species exploitation, climate change, and the emergence of disease are the greatest threats to the survival of Kalimantan’s endemic amphibians.
After DNA testing, BRIN determined that the newly discovered frogs do not belong to any ordinary frog species and can only be found in Indonesia.
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Translator: Tumpal Andani Aritonang, Cindy Frishanti Octavia
Editor: Primayanti
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