First lungless frog discovered in Indonesia

Researchers said today that they have identified for the first time a frog that has no lungs and breathes through its skin.

The discovery in Indonesia could provide further clues into what drives evolution in certain species.

David Bickford, an evolutionary biologist at the National University of Singapore, said the aquatic frog Barbourula kalimantanensis was found in two rivers in a remote part of Indonesia’s Kalimantan province during an expedition in August last year.

Mr Bickford said today it is likely the frogs have developed this unusual trait to adapt to their hostile surroundings, which are mostly fast-moving waterways that are rich in oxygen.