Ecuador names newly-discovered frog species after Leonardo DiCaprio. Here's why

Researchers in Ecuador discovered a new frog species named in honor of Leonardo DiCaprio's environmental efforts.

After a new frog species was discovered in Ecuador, it wasa named after Academy Award-winning Hollywood actor Leonardo DiCaprio, according to a report in The Telegraph.

Ecuador's new frog species, Phyllonastes Dicaprioi, honors Leonardo DiCaprio for his environmental efforts.

The frog, which was recently discovered, has been named Phyllonastes Dicaprioi. It is one of the seven new species uncovered by researchers from the San Francisco University of Quito (USFQ), Ecuador's National Institute of Biodiversity and the Catholic University of Ecuador.

"This study highlights the importance of protecting the unique habitats where these species live," the USFQ said in a statement, adding that frog species named can be found in the Western Mountain Forest in the province of El Oro, Ecuador.

The frog is a small brown amphibian covered in dark spots. Scientists said that the frog lives 1,300-1,700 metres above sea level.

Leonardo DiCaprio, one of Hollywood’s most prominent A-list celebrities, is deeply committed to environmental causes. He founded the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation in 1998 to raise awareness about environmental issues.

His efforts also included backing the shutdown of a controversial oil drilling project in Ecuador's Yasuni National Park, which led scientists to name a newly discovered frog species after him.

Celebrity names for new species

In 2024, a new snake discovered in the Himalayas was also named after the Bollywood actor. The species was found between central Nepal to Chamba district in Himachal Pradesh and named 'Anguiculus dicaprioi'.

Virender Bhardwaj first discovered the snake in his backyard in the western Himalayas during the COVID-19 lockdown. After sharing its pictures on social media, the discovery gained significant attention online, sparking a three-year investigation to identify the species.

Before Leonardo DiCaprio, another newly discovered snake species was named Tachymenoides harrisonfordi after Indiana Jones star Harrison Ford. In 2017, zoologist and Pink Floyd fan Dr. Sammy de Grave honored the legendary rock band by naming a pistol shrimp Synalpheus pinkfloydi.