Scientists have discovered a new frog species in the Talle Valley Wildlife Sanctuary (WLS) in Arunachal Pradesh. It has been named as Odorrana arunachalensis, after Arunachal Pradesh. According to the officials, it is one of the five discovered in India recently and the 59th in the world.
According to a publication in the Journal of Biosciences, a science journal of Arunachal Pradesh-based Rajiv Gandhi University, the species is sighted during the wet season, from April to September. They are not seen in the dry seasons.
The frog is medium in size and features a bright green colour. Odorrana arunachalensis can be distinguished from other frogs belonging to the genus Odorrana, the presence of a black band-like mark between the eyes.
The species was discovered by a team of scientists from the Zoological Survey of India led by Bhaskar Saikia, Bikramjit Sinha and Ilona Jacinta Kharkongor.
This new species inhabits moss and fern covered rocky places along hill streams in mixed wet tropical forest type. Currently, they are reported from within and outskirts of the Talle Valley Wildlife Sanctuary but are expected to be found in a wider range due to the availability of similar habitats of this species in other parts of the state.