A possible new species of frog South America\'s tiniest independent nation still hides a number of big surprises: a three week survey to the sourthern rainforests of Suriname found 46 potentially new species and recorded nearly 1,300 species in all. Undertaken by Conservation International\'s (CI) Rapid Assessment Program (RAP) the survey found new species of freshwater fish, insects, and a new frog dubbed the \"cowboy frog\" for the spur on its heel. While Suriname may be small, much of its forest, in the Guyana Shield region of the Amazon, remains intact and pristine. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimates that 91 percent of Suriname is covered in primary forests, however this data has not been updated in over two decades.
\"Our team was privileged to explore one of the last remaining areas of vast, unroaded wilderness in the world,\" RAP director and researcher Trond Larsen said in a press release. \"As a scientist, it is thrilling to study these remote forests where countless new discoveries await, especially since we believe that protecting these landscapes while they remain pristine provides perhaps the greatest opportunity for maintaining globally important biodiversity and the ecosystems people depend upon for generations to come.\"
The Suriname team explored three sites along the Kutari and Sipaliwini Rivers in 2010 near the indigenous Trio tribe\'s Kwamalasamutu village. They recorded one new frog species, eight new species of freshwater fish, and numerous new insects including aquatic beetles, dung beetles, damselflies, and katydids.
\"The area was paradise for the entomologists among us, with spectacular and unique insects everywhere. I didn\'t even have to look for ants because they jumped out at me,\" said Leeanne Alonso, a former CI RAP Director who is now with Global Wildlife Conservation.
But it wasn\'t just insects that surprised the researchers: birds, too, were abundant and diverse, at one campsite the group recorded 215 species of birds in just six days. Camera traps also recorded big and medium-sized mammals, which often avoid humans.
\"You can really get up close to wildlife here—a camera trap recorded a jaguar about one hundred yards from our camp,\" adds Alonso.
The region is also home to the oldest human settlement in southern Suriname: the Werehpai cave. Covered in 313 petroglyphs, the cave saw its first humans seeking refuge some 5,000 years ago.
The scientists worked closely with the indigenous Trio tribe in the area. They hope their data will help the tribe set up small scale eco-tourism in the area.
\"The Kwamalasamutu area’s pristine nature and cultural heritage make it a unique destination for more adventurous tourists, who enjoy trekking through the dense rainforest to discover flora and fauna. CI-Suriname and the Trio are hoping to further develop a niche market ecotourism site here, while the recommendations from the RAP will help the community to manage and maintain the 18,000 hectares sanctuary they created around the region’s incredible Werehpai petroglyph caves,\" CI-Suriname Executive Director Annette Tjon Sie Fat said.
Even with the findings, the RAP team believes there is much more to discover in the small country. A new team is returning to southern Suriname, along with CI director Russ Mittermeier, for an expedition in March.
Although Suriname possess large tracts of pristine forest, they are imperiled by mining, logging, and a lack of indigenous rights.