(JTA) — A frog species thought to be extinct in northern Israel reportedly has been seen for the first time in 50 years.
The Hula Painted Frog was rediscovered Tuesday. The frog was believed to have gone extinct following the draining of the Hula Valley in the 1950s in an effort to stop malaria.
According to Dana Milstein, an ecologist with the Israel Nature and Parks Authority, the frog was rare even before it was declared extinct. She credits rehydration of the area for the frog sighting.
The Hebrew name for the frog is "agulashon shehor-gahon," which refers to its black belly and round tongue.
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