Scientists at the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) have identified 13 new amphibian species in Northeast India, marking a major breakthrough in documenting the region’s rich biodiversity at Shilong.
According to officials, six of the newly discovered species were found in Arunachal Pradesh, three in Meghalaya, and one each in Assam, Mizoram, Nagaland and Manipur.
The research was conducted between 2019 and 2024 with support from the National Geographic Society and the Meghalaya Biodiversity Board. All 13 species belong to the genus - Raorchestes and include R lawngtalaiensis, R barakensis, R narpuhensis, R boulengeri, R monolithus, R khonoma, as well as several species from Arunachal Pradesh such as R eaglenestensis, R magnus and R nasuta.
ALSO READ | Cyclone Ditwah forms over Bay of Bengal: When and where is landfall? All you need to know
The discoveries come from a large-scale taxonomic study led by Bitupan Boruah, a PhD scholar at WII (Wildlife Institute of India), along with herpetologist Dr. Abhijit Das of WII, and Dr. Deepak Veerappan of the Natural History Museum, London, and Newcastle University, UK. The Northeast, which falls under two global biodiversity hotspots, has long been known for its hidden and understudied wildlife, making this study especially significant.
Researchers used acoustic analysis, genetic testing and physical characteristics to identify the new species.
They also examined century-old museum specimens from the India-Burma region, stored in natural history museums abroad, which helped clear long-standing confusion in species classification.
ALSO READ | Delhi AQI near severe mark at 384, temperature to stay below average
The team sampled 81 locations across eight states, including 25 protected areas. Along with identifying new species, they also revised existing species distributions and merged four species that were previously described separately. With these additions, the total number of known bush frog species in India has increased from 82 to 95.
Published in the latest volume of the journal Vertebrate Zoology, the study helps resolve long-pending taxonomic gaps related to the tiny “tik-tik” bush frogs of Northeast India and opens the door for deeper research into their ecology and conservation needs.
