Jatinder – Kaur
15 June 2009

Photo:ABCLive.in

New Delhi (ABC Live): Zoological Survey of India has discovered 12 new species of frogs and 14 insects across the country in 2008.

Information to this was shared by it in latest report of the Zoological Survey of India.

The new species have been discovered in 13 states across the country with most of the frogs being discovered in the Northeast.Of the 14 new species of insects; five were discovered in various sanctuaries of Kerala.

The new species of frogs were found in Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh while those new to the country have been discovered from the fringes of Neora Valley National Park in West Bengal and Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary in Haryana, says the Zoological Survey of India’s recent publication “Animal Discoveries-2008″.

1. The discoveries include a frog which changes colour and spots (Rhacophorous subansiriensis) found in the forests of Subansiri district in Arunanchal Pradesh
2. The diminutive frog (Philautus manipurensis) from Tumzane River in Manipur.
3. Chirixalus senapatiensis is another frog species that has been found from the Mabing river bed in Manipur.
4. Two new species of Cladocera
5. One new record of Sea Spider were found in the Visakhapatnam inshore waters.

Amphibians, including frogs and salamanders, are one of the most threatened groups of species in view of their habitat loss, over-collection as food, outbreak of deadly fungal disease, pollution, pesticides and climate change.

Since its inception in 1916, ZSI scientists have discovered 4452 new species and subspecies.