Why in News?
A team of researchers has recently discovered a new species of cricket frog in the northern Western Ghats.
- It is a new species of endemic frog found in Mahabaleshwar region in the Northern Western Ghats, Maharastra.
- Scientific Name - Minervarya Ghatiborealis.
- Nomenclature - This species is named after the Sanskrit word ‘Ghati' western and Latin word ‘Borealis' meaning northern region, thus meaning ‘from the north western Ghats'.
- Genus - It has been included in the genus Minervarya, commonly known as the ‘Cricket frog'.
- Frogs of the Minervarya genus are distinguished by the parallel lines on their abdomens.
- They nest near standing water or small springs and make noises similar to that of nightingales.
- The breeding vocalization of males differ from other species of the genus.
- Appearance – It is a large-sized cricket frog, reaching about 2.5 inches in length.
- It has thin fingers, long legs, and distinctive golden-yellow eyes that are darker at the edges and lighter in the center.
- The frog’s coloration varies from blotchy brown to orange, with pale cream bellies and yellow-tinted sides.
- Distinction - Large, robust body and distinct morphological features like sub-elliptical snout, rudimentary webbing, and highly ridged glandular skin.
- DNA analysis found the new species had at least 6% genetic divergence from other related frog species.
- Similar species - Similar-sized species was discovered from Bamburde village, Pune, in 2019, which was named ‘Minervarya Marathi’.
References
- Times of India | Minervarya ghatiborealis
- Miami Herald | Mahabaleshwar Cricket Frog
- My Pune Pulse | ‘Golden-Eyed’ Frog
