(Left) Yellow-spotted white-lipped horned frog. (Right) Garo white-lipped horned frog (Photos courtesy: Systematics Lab)
Dublin, December 19 (MExN): A team of Irish and Indian biologists at the University College Dublin (Ireland), the Natural History Museum (UK), and University of Delhi (India) has discovered four new species of horned frogs from the remote forested Himalayan regions of North East India.
The scientists—Stephen Mahony, Rachunliu Gaiduwan Kamei, Emma C Teeling and SD Biju—named the four species as the Himalayan horned frog (Megophrys himalayana), the Garo white-lipped horned frog (Megophrys oreocrypta), the Yellow spotted white-lipped horned frog (Megophrys flavipunctata), and the Giant Himalayan horned frog (Megophrys periosa).
A press release from the scientists stated that “The implications of this study are that all remaining populations from throughout Asia are now understood to represent unique new species that have yet to be named.”
How discovery was made
The discovery was made, informed the press release, when the biologists were investigating a group of six closely related species of horned frogs (named for the fleshy horn-like projection on the upper eyelids of some species) that are poorly known scientifically and have been subject to over 150 years of extensive confusion with regards to the identities of the different species.
“This work is the result of fourteen years of research, gradually piecing together the story from historical literature and examining a large number of museum specimens by the lead author, and seven years of dedicated fieldwork in some of the wettest and most difficult terrains in the world by the Indian team,” the press release stated.
“We only ever see horned frogs at night time in the forest and they are generally very difficult to find because they occur in low numbers,” said Dr. Rachunliu Kamei. “So often over several nights of searching we only encounter a few individuals. Working in the forest at night time in remote jungles of North East India can be dangerous due to problems of insurgency and the likelihood of encountering wild animals. But the hardship is worthwhile when we find exciting species.”
The study was published on November 19 as a monograph in the scientific journal, Zootaxa.
Urgency of knowing unique species
According to Dr. Stephen Mahony, the lead author of the study, “As Asia’s remaining forests are rapidly shrinking due to human activities, and the streams where these frogs reproduce become polluted, the urgency of knowing where these unique species live is vital if there is any chance to protect them from extinction.”
According to the team, this study highlights the importance of biodiversity research in the poorly explored states of North East India, that have in recent years been witness to the discoveries of a new primate, a bird, several new fish and reptiles, and an increasing number of amphibian species.
“North East India is rich in amphibian diversity but despite being part of two globally recognized biodiversity hotspots (Himalayas and Indo-Burma), this region is neglected as compared to the Western Ghats hotspot in southern India,” extrapolated Dr. SD Biju. “Our discovery highlights the need to carry out systematic research in North East India to fully understand and conserve its unique frog fauna.”
With the “rapid degradation” of natural habitats, the researchers hoped, “as awareness spreads through communities, that local leaders will increase conservation activities in areas under their jurisdiction for the prosperity of their peoples and the fragile ecosystems that everyone and everything inherently depends upon.”
