COIMBATORE: A team of scientists from SACON (The Sálim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History) in Anaikatti, has discovered a new frog species during a two-year study in Meghalaya. They have named the species as ‘Raorchestes asakgrensis’, after the Eman Asakgre Community Reserve in the Garo Hills of Meghalaya, where it was discovered, to honour the people who supported them.
The team, consisting of R S Naveen, S R Chandramouli, S Babu, PV karunakaran and HN Kumara, conducted surveys at 13 sites in the Garo and Khasi Hills between October 2020 and January 2022. The discovery was published in Herpetozoa, the international peer-reviewed open-access journal of the Austrian Herpetological Society, on November 18.
“We conducted nocturnal visual encounter surveys to locate calling individuals of bush frogs, as they are most active at night. Once located, the frogs were captured and photographed. Then began the tedious task of describing the species,” said R. S. Naveen, one of the authors.
The team also rediscovered two more species – Ixalus garo and Ixalus kempiae – in Garo hills during their study. These species, originally described in the early 20th century, had remained enigmatic due to the lack of comprehensive descriptions in their original documentation.”
“The original descriptions of these two species lacked information on several morphological characters, genetic material, and photographs of the species in life. The absence of such information posed challenges in the field identification of these species,” noted S Babu, a scientist.
“With our rediscovery, we hope to provide a clearer understanding of these species, which will aid in their conservation and recognition.” he said.
The discovery and rediscovery underscore the rich biodiversity of the Garo and Khasi Hills, highlighting the need for continuous exploration and documentation in North East India. The team stressed that the involvement of local people, with their deep knowledge of the area, is crucial in identifying and conserving unique species in biodiverse regions.