Tiny beaked toad, two other species discovered

LONDON - Deep within the Colombian jungle, scientists have stumbled upon a bizarre-looking beaked toad, along with two hitherto unknown species.

Tinier than a human thumbnail, the beaked toad, with deep purple skin and small blue blotches, was among three new species of the amphibian discovered by a British-led scientific team.

Researchers who made the discovery were actually looking out for a lost species of toad not seen since World War I.

Instead they unearthed these three creatures - caught on camera by a British researcher, reports the Daily Mail.

The next newly found treasure is a red-legged tree frog with distinctive black streaks from nose to body. A brown toad with red eyes completes the new additions for the zoological record.

The pictures show the creatures in their native environment where they seem to scramble without fear of their human visitors.

As expedition leader, Scottish amphibian conservation officer and photographer, Robin Moore, 35, from Edinburgh, played a key role in the discovery.

“The amazing part is that nobody, in the history of its existence, has ever recorded its presence,” he said.