A new species of frog has been discovered in the Tale Wildlife Sanctuary of Arunachal Pradesh, significantly enhancing India’s herpetofaunal diversity. The rare species was identified by scientists from the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI), a discovery announced by officials on Tuesday.
The newly discovered forest-dwelling horned frog was identified by ZSI researchers from Shillong, Itanagar, and Pune. This discovery, published in the latest edition of the Zoological Survey of India, corrects a 2019 report that had misidentified the frog as the Maoson horned frog (Xenophrys maosonensis) in India.
Scientist Bhaskar Saikia, who led the research team, explained to PTI that the reclassification was necessary due to genetic differences found between the Indian specimens and those from Vietnam and China. The research team also included Bikramjit Sinha from ZSI Shillong, KP Dinesh and A. Shabnam from ZSI Pune, and Ilona Jacinta Kharkongor from ZSI Itanagar.
This discovery follows another significant finding earlier last year when scientists identified a new species of ‘music frog’ in Arunachal Pradesh. Based on morphological, molecular, and acoustic evidence, the new frog of the genus Nidirana was found to be phenotypically distinct from its congeners.
Scientists Bitupan Boruah, V Deepak, and Abhijit Das conducted field surveys in the Changlang and Lohit districts between August and September 2022. Nestled within vegetation in shallow pools of water, male frogs with ‘robust’ bodies were found calling loudly. Other specimens were discovered in nearby marshy areas, the edges of a newly constructed pond, and alongside a road.
