New frog species named after Leonardo DiCaprio

London: A newly discovered species of frog has been named after American actor and film producer Leonardo DiCaprio in recognition of his environmental activism.

The small brown amphibian, Phyllonastes dicaprioi, was identified in Ecuador’s Western Mountain Forest by researchers from three institutions. It lives at altitudes of 1330 to 1705 metres above sea level.

Scientists chose to honour the 50-year-old actor for his dedication to environmental causes, including his support for conservation initiatives in Ecuador and efforts to halt oil drilling in the country’s Yasuní National Park.

Scientists chose to honour Leonardo DiCaprio for his dedication to environmental causesz.Credit: AP

The frog differs from its closest relatives in its body length and distinctive finger shape.

It is one of seven new species uncovered by researchers from Ecuador’s National Institute of Biodiversity, the Catholic University of Ecuador, and the San Francisco University of Quito (USFQ).

The other newly discovered and named frogs include Phyllonastes cerrogolondrinas, Phyllonastes ecuadoriensis, Phyllonastes macuma, Phyllonastes plateadensis, Phyllonastes sardinayacu, and Phyllonastes personinus. These species inhabit forested and lowland areas threatened by deforestation and climate change.

The discovery was announced by USFQ in a statement celebrating the breakthrough.

“This study highlights the importance of protecting the unique habitats where these species live,” researchers said.

Their naming choices reflect cultural and environmental significance, with some species named after their geographical origins and others paying tribute to conservation figures, with DiCaprio among them.

In 2021, DiCaprio announced funding of $US43 million ($67 million) towards an effort to rewild the Galapagos Islands and reintroduce locally extinct species, including pink iguanas, giant tortoises and the first mockingbird species described by Charles Darwin.

The American actor launched a conservation charity called Re:wild, which partnered with local experts to restore Floreana Island, where 13 species were expected to be reintroduced.

DiCaprio has also previously praised Greta Thunberg, the climate change activist, as a “leader of our time” as he insisted her message should be a “wake-up call to world leaders everywhere that the time for inaction is over”.

He is not the only celebrity to have had a new species named in his honour. In 2023, a new species of snake was named Tachymenoides harrisonfordi after Harrison Ford, the Indiana Jones actor.

In 2017, a pistol shrimp was named Synalpheus pinkfloydi in honour of the rock band by zoologist and Pink Floyd fan Dr Sammy de Grave, from Oxford University’s Museum of Natural History.

A Queensland horse fly judged to have a “curved rear” was named by Australian scientists as Scaptia beyonceae after the singer Beyonce Knowles.

Donald Trump also received his own species tribute for a newly discovered moth featuring a striking crown of yellow and a piercing stare, which was christened Neopalpa donaldtrumpi in honour of the then 45th president of the United States.

The Telegraph, London

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