At simply 15mm lengthy when totally grown, all six species are smaller than a penny (round 19mm in diameter), in response to a information launch from the College of Cambridge.
"Till now these new species have gone unnoticed as a result of they're small and brown and look actually much like different frogs," Tom Jameson, a researcher on the college's Division of Zoology and College Museum of Zoology, mentioned within the launch.
The newly found frogs, who make their properties within the leaf litter of Mexico's forest flooring, are nonetheless a supply of thriller, in response to Jameson.
Researchers are at nighttime about many particulars of their behaviour and social lives.
One distinctive element scientists do know is that they're "direct-developing" frogs.
Most frogs hatch from eggs into tadpoles earlier than changing into frogs as adults, however these species emerge from eggs as "excellent miniature frogs," in response to the discharge.
The tiny species dwell in equally tiny habitats, like a selected hillside, making the frogs particularly threatened by habitat loss, the discharge mentioned.
The analysis crew is working with NGOs and the Mexican authorities on conservation efforts.
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However, their small measurement would not replicate the frogs' position within the ecosystem.
"With hundreds of thousands of those frogs dwelling within the leaf litter, we expect they're prone to play a vastly essential position within the ecosystem as a supply of meals for the whole lot else, from lizards to predatory birds," mentioned Jameson.
The brand new species have been named Craugastor bitonium, Craugastor candelariensis, Craugastor cueyatl, Craugastor polaclavus, Craugastor portilloensis and Craugastor rubinus.
Jameson is especially happy with the identify cueyatl, which was chosen "to honour the wealthy human historical past of the Valley of Mexico, and the native individuals who have in all probability recognized these frogs far longer than we've," he mentioned within the launch.
The examine on the frogs, printed in "Herpetological Monographs" on April 4, required a painstaking hours-long investigation to differentiate the brand new species from one other, very comparable species from the Craugastor group.
The analysis crew used DNA sequencing and 3D fashions of the frogs' skeletons primarily based on CT scans to check minute particulars between the species, in response to the discharge.
And the researchers hope that there are much more species of tiny frog but to be recognized.
"Regardless of this progress, we suspect that further species await discovery, notably in western Mexico and east of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec," the scientists wrote within the examine.