An albino narrow-mouthed toad discovered in Chansaem Village, Daejeon. (Image courtesy of Korean Society of Herpetology)
DAEJEON, June 21 (Korea Bizwire) — A rare albino narrow-mouthed toad (commonly known in Korea as maengkkongi) has been discovered in Daejeon, marking only the second confirmed case of its kind ever recorded in South Korea.
The finding was announced by Moon Kwang-yeon, director of the Korean Herpetological Society, who observed the white-skinned, red-eyed amphibian on June 14 in Chansaem Village, a known breeding site for narrow-mouthed toads in Daejeon’s Dong District.
Albinism is a genetic condition caused by a lack of melanin pigment, and albino animals are particularly vulnerable in the wild due to poor camouflage and sensitivity to sunlight. The last known sighting of an albino maengkkongi in South Korea occurred in Cheongju in 2009.
The recently observed toad was a female, with a male atop her back—suggesting the pair was engaged in mating behavior, which typically occurs during the early monsoon season when the species spawns in shallow, rain-fed pools.
Narrow-mouthed toads are highly sensitive to climate and environmental change, making them a key bioindicator species. Their survival is closely tied to clean soil and unpolluted water—conditions increasingly at risk due to climate shifts.
Mating albino narrow-mouthed toads. (Image courtesy of Director Kwangyeon Moon, Korean Society of Herpetology)
The species is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List and is classified as a Class II endangered species by South Korea’s Ministry of Environment. As such, the discovery of the albino toad underscores both the ecological value of the habitat and the fragility of its survival.
“This toad lives underground most of the year and only emerges to breed in clean, shallow waters,” Moon noted. “If the soil is contaminated or water is polluted, the species cannot survive—making its presence a strong indicator of environmental health.”
However, Moon also warned that climate change is rapidly reducing their habitat, as rising temperatures increase soil dryness and water evaporation, threatening the shallow pools critical for breeding.
“As global warming intensifies, these breeding grounds are drying up. Without standing water, eggs cannot survive,” Moon said. “Protecting these habitats is essential—not just for the toads, but for the health of the entire ecosystem.”
The rare sighting has sparked renewed calls for stronger climate and environmental action as President Lee Jae-myung’s administration grapples with biodiversity loss amid mounting global ecological concerns.
Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)
