New Frog Species Discovered in Arunachal Pradesh

Scientists from the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) have discovered a new forest-dwelling horned frog species in Arunachal Pradesh's Tale Wildlife Sanctuary. The findings amend a previous erroneous report of the Maoson horned frog. The research highlights significant genetic differences from previously known species.

In a remarkable breakthrough, scientists from the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) have identified a new species of frog in Arunachal Pradesh's Tale Wildlife Sanctuary. This development marks an important addition to India's extensive herpetofaunal diversity, officials announced on Tuesday.

The newly discovered species is a forest-dwelling horned frog, unearthed by a dedicated team of ZSI researchers from Shillong, Itanagar, and Pune. 'This finding, as detailed in the current edition of the Zoological Survey of India, revises an earlier incorrect report of the Maoson horned frog (Xenophrys maosonensis) in India, first described by ZSI scientists in Shillong in 2019,' said Bhaskar Saikia, one of the lead scientists, during an interview with PTI.

Saikia explained that the reassessment of the species' identity was prompted by subsequent analyses, which revealed considerable genetic differences between the Indian specimen and X. maosonensis found in Vietnam and China. Along with his colleague, Bikramjit Sinha from ZSI Shillong, Saikia headed the research team, which also included KP Dinesh and A. Shabnam from ZSI Pune, and Ilona Jacinta Kharkongor from ZSI Itanagar.

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