Photo: Uzi Paz (Pikiwiki Israel) | CC BY 2.5

Hula Painted Frog (Latonia nigriventer)

In the 1940s, scientists discovered the Hula Painted Frog along the shores of Lake Hula, in what was then Mandatory Palestine, now Israel. Subsequent research revealed that the frog belonged to a long-extinct genus known in Europe from fossils.

Shortly thereafter, the marshland surrounding Lake Hula was drained to make way for agricultural development. The Hula Painted Frog disappeared and was presumed extinct. Nocturnal, solitary, and fearful of humans, the sably piceous amphibian evaded detection until a park ranger discovered a single individual in 2011. This unique history gives the frog the rare status of both a living fossil and a Lazarus taxon.

The Hula Painted Frog is vulnerable due to its extremely limited native range and the desiccation of its remaining wetland habitat. It is also a favorite target for predators like herons and egrets, which are unusually common near Lake Hula.

IUCN: Critically Endangered (CR)

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Hula Painted Frog - Meet The Endangered