Arunachal Pradesh yields new species of horned frog

A team of researchers from the Zoological Survey of India recorded the forest-dwelling frog from the Talle Wildlife Sanctuary

Published - July 02, 2024 12:49 pm IST - GUWAHATI

Xenophrys apatani, a new species of horned frog recorded a ZSI team in Arunachal Pradesh’s Talle Wildlife Sanctuary.

Xenophrys apatani, a new species of horned frog recorded a ZSI team in Arunachal Pradesh’s Talle Wildlife Sanctuary. | Photo Credit: Special arrangement

A team of researchers from the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) has recorded a new species of forest-dwelling horned frog in Arunachal Pradesh.

The new-to-science Xenophrys apatani, recorded from the Talle Wildlife Sanctuary in the Lower Subansiri district, has been named after the dominant Apatani community in recognition of their ingenuity in the conservation of wild flora and fauna.

Led by Bhaskar Saikia and Bikramjit Sinha of ZSI Shillong, the team included K.P. Dinesh and A. Shabnam of ZSI Pune and Ilona Jacinta Kharkongor of ZSI Itanagar. Their findings overturned an earlier erroneous report of the Maoson horned frog (Xenophrys maosonensis) in India reported by researchers of ZSI Shillong in 2019.

“The revised conclusion regarding the identity of the species was done after further analysis revealed substantial genetic disparities between the Indian specimen and X. maosonensis from Vietnam and China, prompting a re-evaluation,” Mr Saikia said.

“The discovery of Xenophrys apatani underscores India’s rich biodiversity and highlights the importance of rigorous taxonomic studies in understanding our natural heritage. It is a significant addition to the country’s herpetofaunal diversity,” he said.

The researchers also provided insights into the biogeographic distribution of the Xenophrys species in India, distributed along the Eastern Himalayan and the Indo-Burma biodiversity hot spots of the country. The findings are expected to guide future conservation efforts and enhance understanding of amphibian evolution in the region, they said.

0 / 0
Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.