New frog species discovered in Mahabaleshwar
Pune: A new endemic species of frog has been discovered in Mahabaleshwar, the famous hill station in the North-Western Ghats. The new species has been included in the ‘Minervarya’ genus. It has been named ‘Minervarya Ghati borealis’.
The discovery was made by a team of researchers including Dr Omkar Yadav from Amdar Shashikant Shinde Mahavidyalaya, Dr Amrut Bhosale from Dahiwadi Mahavidyalaya, Dr Priyanka Patil, Akshay Khandekar from Thackeray Wildlife Foundation and Dr KP Dinesh from the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI).
A research paper on the discovery has been published in international research journal ‘Zootaxa’. Tejas Thackeray cooperated during the research.
Frogs in the Minervarya genus are differentiated from other frogs due to the parallel streaks on their stomach. They are called ‘cricket frogs’ as their call resembles that of the cricket. They are found near ponds or small streams. The new species of frog was found beside a puddle near the parking area at Koli Ali in Mahabaleshwar. They are a little bigger than 5.5 cm and breed during a brief period at the beginning of the rainy season. The new species can be identified due its bigger size, different call and distinct genetic setup. The nocturnal species feeds on small insects.
Dr Yadav said, “The physical features of this species are different from other species belonging to the genus found in India. Since the species breeds for a very brief period at the beginning of the monsoon, it was not noticed by researchers earlier. The breeding call of males of the species is different from the known calls of other species of the genus. In fact, its call caught our attention. The advanced research was carried out under the guidance of Dr Varad Giri. The discovery has not only added another species but has underlined the need for making more efforts to conserve the biodiversity in the Western Ghats.”
Dr KP Dinesh said, “The discovery of the species points to the valuable biodiversity in the Western Ghats. It also underlines the importance of preserving natural habitats of various species.”
