Colombia: painted frog, thought extinct, still alive

From Biology News Net:

Researchers exploring a Colombian mountain range found surviving members of a species of Harlequin frog believed extinct due to a killer fungus wiping out amphibian populations in Central and South America.

The discovery of what could be the last population of the painted frog (Atelopus ebenoides marinkellei) indicates the species has survived the fungus, providing hope that other species also might avoid elimination from the epidemic caused by a pathogenic fungus of unknown origin.

Also on this from LiveScience:

The painted frog was last seen in 1995.

“The scientific importance of the finding must motivate us to adopt urgent measures toward saving the last of these amphibians, both in the wild and through captive breeding programs,” said Fabio Arjona, executive director of Conservation International in Colombia.

“That will require a lot of support from the local and international communities.”