13 June 2021
Indonesia Institute of Sciences LIPI has made the discovery of a new frog species in Mimika Regency, Papua. The discovery was assisted by South Australian Museum with support from PT Freeport Indonesia (PTFI).
As cited by Antara, the species discovered is Litoria lubisi, a large green tree frog from the family of Litoria infratrenata. Discovery of this new species was officially published in the international journal Zootaxa 4903 (1): 117 - 126. PT Freeport Indonesia VP CorCom, Riza Pratama says the name lubisi is in honor of Dr. Rusdian Lubis, who at the time held the office of Senior VP for environment and occupational health and safety.
According to Riza, discovery of this new species adds to the long list of discoveries of new species in the PTFI operating area since research into biodiversity was conducted in 1997. The physical features of Litoria lubisi are quite unique, tending to be of a large size, and with a length reaching up to 70 mm. Additionally, it has the appearance of being strong with more vivid coloring compared with other green frogs.
This frog inhabiting the lowlands has a wide mouth with each jaw consisting of 10 small teeth and a jawline that is not well defined on its skin surface. The frog has three long webs between its four fingers, and elongated legs to strengthen its grip and hold.
The frog’s body is covered in various colors, with the lower part and the tips of its fingers being yellow, the folds of its skin, pale blue, and the stripes on its belly and webs, reddish brown. This frog can only be found in the sago forests in Mimika, Papua.
Litoria lubisi has been studied since 2006 by two writers and scientists, Stephen Richards from South Australian Museum and an independent researcher, Burhan Tjaturadi who has worked in Papua since 1999 when he joined WWF and Conservation International.
The two carried out biodiversity research in the sago swamps south of Timika in Papua and succeeded in collecting a specimen from an additional species indicating morphological attributes from the Litoria infratrenata group. This research was followed up by a team of scientists from LIPI, namely Mumpuni, Hellen Kurniati, and Evy Arida. After studies conducted over a period of 15 years, the team eventually confirmed that the species researched was indeed a new species never before noted in taxonomy records.
The research was considered relatively difficult, as the main challenge encountered by the experts was in accessing the frog’s habitat. “The PTFI operating area still holds a potential wealth of flora and fauna that is yet to be fully explored. As such, PTFI consistently implements an environmental policy that among others contributes to biodiversity conservation,” PTFI Environmental Senior Manager Gesang Setyadi said.
Kami menghimbau para pencari kerja untuk berhati-hati dan mewaspadai beragam modus penipuan perekrutan yang mengatasnamakan PT Freeport Indonesia. Dalam setiap proses rekrutmen dan penerimaan karyawan, PT Freeport Indonesia maupun konsultan rekruitmennya tidak memungut biaya apapun.
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