Find out why this species of frog is named after a 3-year-old girl

BBC Northwest | Twitter

Sophia Swinford - published on 08/15/18

The newly identified species is now officially known as "Sylvia's Tree Frog."

First discovered in Panama in 1925, Sylvia’s Tree Frog went unrecognized for nearly a century before one persistent amphibian conservationist finally proved it to be a distinct species after 20 years of dedicated research.

The frog had been mistaken for a different species, the Splendid Tree Frog, until Andrew Gray proved otherwise. Curator of herpetology at Manchester Museum, Gray decided to name the newly discovered frog after his 3-year-old granddaughter, Sylvia.

He said, “It’s a biologist’s dream to get to name a species. To be able to find such a beautiful frog and to be able to name it after my granddaughter — it’s absolutely amazing.”

Watch the video below to see more.

How about discovering a brand new species of frog…and getting to name it! 🐸 pic.twitter.com/HO68nR6Hwz
— BBC North West (@BBCNWT) July 30, 2018

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