The new frog species was discovered by a group of conservationists in the mountain region of Cerro Chucantí, located in eastern Panama. The wildlife organization Rainforest Trust, which led the team, organized an auction in 2018 for 30 people to come up with a name for the new species. The winner of the auction decided to name the frog after the activist, as a sign of appreciation for her commitment to the climate.
“Greta reminds us that the future of every species on Earth depends on what we do now to stop climate change,” Rainforest Trust CEO James Deutsch said in a press release.
The Greta Thunberg frog can be recognized by its large, dark black eyes, according to the description of the scientific magazine ZooKeysin which the name was announced. The animal can also be linked to its namesake, as the habitat of the frog species is seriously threatened by global warming. For example, the region where the frog was found has lost about 30 percent of its forest cover in the past ten years.