A Syrian frog returns after decades of disappearance.. Why did it disappear from the “scientists’ radar”? | sciences

The frog, known as the “digger frog” or “shovel frog,” because it has a “shovel-like” protrusion on its back foot that helps it dig and hide under the soil, is one of the most hidden amphibians, as it spends most of its life buried under the soil and only appears for short periods during breeding seasons in humid environments.

This frog acquired the Syrian identity (the Syrian digger), because it was discovered for the first time in Syria more than 135 years ago, after the German scientist Oscar Böttger described it in 1889 based on a sample collected from there, according to data from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility.

Johnny Baqlini, a researcher in the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, participated in leading a research team that succeeded, with the help of a group of wildlife enthusiasts in Syria, in rediscovering it, according to their study published in the journal “Herpetological Conservation and Biology.”

Discovery removes doubts

According to that study that documented the discovery, the only historical record of this species in Syria was based on a specimen preserved in the Natural History Museum in London, which made its actual presence inside Syria a subject of long-standing doubt among scientists.

The most important transformation came through what is known as “community science,” where groups of people interested in wildlife on social media contributed to documenting new field observations, which resulted in recording the presence of larvae in a wet plain area in the Hama countryside, in addition to monitoring adult individuals in the Tartous countryside.

The study indicates that these sites are tens of kilometers away from each other, and are located at a great distance from the nearest known population of the species in Lebanon, which reinforces the hypothesis of the existence of stable local populations inside Syria that were not previously documented.

While the environmental authorities in the Syrian province of Hama conducted a field visit a few days ago to one of the frog farms to ensure that the environmental conditions required to resume export activity to Europe after a long interruption are met, Johnny is taking advantage of this event to demand more studies on the digging frog.

Frog export activity in Syria dates back to the 1980s, before it stopped in recent years during which the country witnessed a long war. With the resumption of activity, Johnny says, “Most likely, water frogs, specifically the genus Pilophylax, are the largest in size and most suitable for human consumption in Europe, but the Syrian borer deserves research attention.”

Fears of disturbing the “Syrian excavator”

Although the scientifically important Syrian pit frog is not one of the frogs targeted for export, Johnny stresses the need to ensure that this export activity will not disturb its presence in Syria.

The concern, in his view, is that the export frogs of the genus Pelophylax may share some breeding ponds or wetland habitats with the shovel frog; Therefore, without clear species-level regulation, careful monitoring, and a rigorous captive breeding program, commercial frog export may harm the very environments on which rare or poorly known species depend.

Johnny adds, “With a species like the Syrian digger frog, about which we still know very little, the matter becomes extremely dangerous. It may be present in wetlands, affected by population pressure or disturbance, and disappear before anyone knows of its existence.”

Bridging a geographical gap

Regarding the reasons for the great appreciation that Johnny gives to the rediscovery of the Syrian digger frog, he explains that the importance of the discovery is not limited only to documenting its presence in the country that bears his name, but also extends to filling a large geographical gap in the scientifically known map of its distribution.

He says, “The discovery has expanded scientists’ understanding of this type of frog, which plays important environmental roles within the natural system, as it feeds on insects and small invertebrate organisms. It also represents a food source for a number of birds, reptiles, and mammals, while its burrowing nature helps in aerating the soil and contributing to the cycling of nutrients within the environment.”

He added that this species depends mainly on seasonal ponds and wet areas to reproduce, which makes protecting these environments necessary for its survival.

Despite this importance to humans and the ecosystem, Johnny stressed that the true value of living organisms should not be reduced to that, explaining that the Syrian pit frog is important because it is a living organism that belongs to this land and carries part of its natural and historical memory.

He said that the matter acquires special symbolism because the species bears the name of Syria itself, considering that its continued existence despite years of unrest represents evidence of the ability of local life to withstand even in light of violence.

Johnny believes that the concept of nature conservation should not be limited to protecting species only, but also includes protecting people’s relationship with their land and with local wildlife, noting that this discovery would not have been achieved without the efforts of a group of Syrian wildlife enthusiasts, most of whom did not have specialized academic training, but they possessed curiosity, attention, and a deep connection to natural life in their country.

He concluded by saying that the Syrian digger frog reminds us that these lands are not “empty or finished,” but are still vibrant with life, and as export activity for commercial species has resumed, attention must be paid to searching for unknown gatherings of rare species, such as the Syrian borer.”