Bornean Rainbow Toad

Image: Dr. Indraneil Das

We all know that finding the end of a rainbow will earn you a nice, big pot of gold, and that a leprechaun is involved in some way. We also know that it isn't actually true, a fact kept secret because you can't actually reach the end of a rainbow. But did you know that looking up a tree in Borneo could net you a Bornean Rainbow Toad (Ansonia latidisca)?

This amphibian was last seen in 1924, when some guy did a black and white sketch of it. That's nice and all but, jeez... sort of like socks for Christmas, isn't it?

Thankfully, after months of searching through the night, scientists from the Universiti Malaysia Sarawak have rediscovered it relaxing 2 metres up a tree, itself over 1,300 metres (4,250 ft) high in a remote mountain range in Borneo. Probably wondering what all the fuss is about, the 5 cm (2 inch) toad was photographed so we all might stare in awe at the utterly absurd number of colours that adorn its toady skin.

Even the warts look like tiny jewels encrusting a rich, blue bedding. There are also those long, delicate legs. As toads go, this is a real beauty!