Genetic barcoding unmasks hidden identities in the online amphibian trade

A new study published in the journal Nature Conservation reveals that threatened amphibian species are being inadvertently or illegally sold under incorrect names in digital marketplaces. Using DNA barcoding, researchers discovered that frogs traded online as a widely farmed species, the Chinese edible frogs (Hoplobatrachus chinensis), were actually Chinese spiny frogs (Quasipaa spinosa), a species classified as Vulnerable by the IUCN.