A team of researchers from the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI), Shillong, in collaboration with their colleagues from ZSI Pune and ZSI Itanagar, has discovered a new species of forest dwelling horned frog from the Tale Wildlife Sanctuary in Arunachal Pradesh.
Named Xenophrys apatani, the discovery marks a significant addition to India’s herpeto-faunal diversity.
The study, led by Bhaskar Saikia and Bikramjit Sinha of the ZSI Shillong, included KP Dinesh and A Shabnam of ZSI Pune and Ilona Jacinta Kharkongor of ZSI Itanagar. This finding overturns 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.
This discovery of Xenophrys apatani underscores India’s rich biodiversity and highlights the importance of rigorous taxonomic studies in understanding our natural heritage. The new frog species is named after the Apatani tribe of Arunachal Pradesh, which predominantly reside in the Lower Subansiri Valley of Arunachal Pradesh (where Tale WLS is located) and in recognition of their ingenuity in conservation of wild flora and fauna.
The researchers also provided insights into the biogeographic distribution of Xenophrys species in India, which are distributed along the Eastern Himalayas and Indo-Burma biodiversity hotspots of the country. The findings are expected to guide future conservation efforts and enhance understanding of amphibian evolution in the region.
This is the same research team that had made the discovery of the Siju Cascade Frog (Amolops siju) from the Siju Cave in South Garo Hills last year.
