A team of Indian scientists has discovered new green tree frog species found in Namdapha Tiger Reserve (NTR) in India's Arunachal Pradesh state, a report said on Monday.
According to the latest journal published in Vertebrate Zoology, the frog has been named the "Patkai green tree frog" (Gracixalus patkaiensis), after the historical Patkai hills range in Namdapha Tiger Reserve.
With a body size of 23-26 millimetres, the Patkai green tree frog is a small species that has a call very similar to that of insects.
Indian Scientists Discover New Patkai Green Tree Frog Species in Arunachal Pradesh
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Researchers from the Wildlife Institute of India in Uttarakhand's Dehradun city, Senckenberg Natural History Collections from Germany's Dresden city, and Arunachal Pradesh's Namdapha Tiger Reserve found this new species during a herpetological exploration in 2022.
The Patkai green tree frog was first spotted in a unique habitat inside the evergreen forest of the Namdapha Tiger Reserve covered in cane, bamboo, rattan palm, fern, and wild zingiber.
It is said that its closest relative, Gracixalus gracilipes, is found in China, Thailand, and Vietnam, according to the study.
“Currently, the genus Gracixalus is known by over 15 species. However, before this discovery, species of this genus was not reported from India, which was earlier only known from Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, southern China, and Myanmar,” the researchers told Indian media on Monday.
Indian Scientists Discover New Patkai Green Tree Frog Species in Arunachal Pradesh
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The discovery of this new species might serve as an example for other protected areas and the ones that are least explored along the eastern borderland of India.
“Such research can help in trans-boundary conservation initiatives and future recognition of the area as a UNESCO World Heritage site,” the researcher added.