Which species of frog is shown in the picture?

It was during a National Geographic Society and Conservation International expedition in 2008 that this frog was first discovered. As a species of frog it belongs to the ‘Pelodryadidae’ family. The expedition was in the Fora Mountains of Papua Province in Indonesia where it was accidentally spotted by Paul Oliver, a herpetologist.

For 11 years it remained unclassified in the traditional Linnaeus scientific system and was simply known as the ‘Pinocchio frog’. In 2019, it was finally described as ‘Litoria Pinocchio’. The frog is named for its Pinocchio-like nose, which can enlarge and inflate in certainty situations. Although unusual, a similar nose is found in several other related frogs from New Guinea. The male inflates its nose when calling, and the nose decreases in size when the frog is calm and quiet.

As a result of Paul Oliver spotting this lone ‘Pinocchio frog’ on the ground, he believes they are also found high above ground in trees, based on his observation when he did not see others on the ground.

Diet consists primarily of insects.

Pinocchio is a fictional character and a protagonist of the children’s novel “The Adventures of Pinocchio” by Italian writer Carl Collodi (1826-1890) of Florence, Tuscany in Italy. Pinocchio was carved by a woodcarver named Geppetto in a Tuscan village. He was created as a wooden puppet notably characterized for his frequent tendency to lie, which caused his nose to grow.