Scientists have identified a new species of leopard frog in New York City and surrounding areas.

The New York Times reports that the find is surprising because the frog was hiding in plain sight in one of the most populated urban areas.

Researchers say the new frog species was confused for a long time with a frog it closely resembles, the southern leopard frog.

So far, the new species has been positively identified on Staten Island. A Rutgers University doctoral candidate in ecology and evolution says it probably inhabited the city's other boroughs at one time.

Jeremy Feinberg also has found specimens in the area of the Meadowlands and the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, and Putnam and Orange counties in New York.

The new species is not yet named.

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