WII Scientists announce discovery of 13 new frog species across Northeast
Before the study, 82 species of bush frogs were known in India & with the new additions, the number has increased to 95
13 new frog species discovered across Northeastern region (Photo: @wii_india/x)
Guwahati, Nov 22: The remarkable amphibian diversity of the Northeast was validated yet again by the discovery of as many as 13 new species of frogs in the region.
Scientists of the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun, announced the results of a major taxonomic work spanning over several years resulting in the discovery of the new species of amphibians from Northeast India.
This is the highest number of vertebrate species described in a single publication in over a decade in India.
The study was led by Bitupan Boruah, a PhD student at the WII and Dr Abhijit Das, herpetologist from the WII, and Dr Deepak Veerappan affiliated with the Natural History Museum, London and Newcastle University, UK.
Out of 13 new species, 6 were discovered in Arunachal Pradesh, 3 in Meghalaya and one species each in Assam, Mizoram, Nagaland and Manipur.
The newly described species are named Raorchestes lawngtalaiensis from Ngengpui WLS, Mizoram, Raorchestes barakensis from Lakhicherra, Barail Wildlife Sanctuary, Assam, Raorchestes eaglenestensis from Eaglenest WLS, Arunachal Pradesh, Raorchestes magnus from Tiwari gaon, Dibang Valley, Arunachal Pradesh, Raorchestes dibangensis from Abango near Mehao WLS, Raorchestes nasuta from Namdapha TR, Arunachal Pradesh, Raorchestes orientalis from Namdapha TR, Arunachal Pradesh, Raorchestes arunachalensis from Rengging, Adi hills, Arunachal Pradesh, Raorchestes narpuhensis from Narpuh WLS, Meghalaya, Raorchestes monolithus from Pumdunlog, Senapati district, Manipur, Raorchestes khonoma from near Khonoma, Nagaland, Raorchestes boulengeri from Cherrapunji, Meghalaya, and Raorchestes mawsynramensis from Mawsynram, Meghalaya.
The work was conducted during 2019-2024 with support from the National Geographic Society and Meghalaya Biodiversity Board.
Considered as a major scientific stride towards recognizing the hidden biodiversity of the northeastern region which constitutes parts of two global biodiversity hotspots, the study integrates acoustics, genetics and morphology.
The study also revisits the status of century-old museum collections from the Indo-Burma region mostly housed in the natural history museums abroad.
Based on a large sampling approach covering 81 localities in eight states, including 25 Protected Areas, the study also revises the distribution of known species and synonymises four previously described species. Before this study, 82 species of bush frogs were known from India and with the new additions, the number has increased to 95.
“Between the years 2016 and 2024, we sampled across Northeast India, collecting multiple populations of bush frogs with particular focus on topotypic material. In this revision we reassess the phylogenetic relationships of the bush frogs of Northeast India, resolve previous ambiguous species identifications and describe 13 new species based on molecular data, morphological characters, and acoustics,” the three researchers noted in their extensive report published in the latest volume of prominent zoological journal Vertebrate Zoology.
They asserted that the study not only helps solve taxonomic conundrums surrounding the tiny “tik... tik... frogs” of Northeast India, but opens up an opportunity for understanding their hitherto unknown conservation status and ecology. This study further reinforces the need of integrative research approach in documenting these hidden biodiversity.