AMOLOPS SIJU

Disclaimer: Copyright infringement not intended.

Context

• Researchers from the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) have discovered a new species of frog from deep inside a cave in Meghalaya's South Garo Hills district.

Details

• This discovery is the second time that a frog was discovered from inside a cave in the country, the first being the discovery of the Micrixalus spelunca in 2014 from a cave in Tamil Nadu.
• There have been reports of the presence of frog populations (up to 400 m from cave entrance) in Siju Cave since 1922 when the first bio speleological exploration of the cave was done by the ZSI.
• The team had also discovered three other new species of cascade frog (Amolops) in Arunachal Pradesh and those include the - Amolops chanakya, Amolops terraorchis and Amolops tawang.

About the frog

• The team named the new species as Amolops siju after the cave from where this discovery was made.
• Family: Cascade Ranidae family
• Genus: Amolops (among the largest groups of ranid frogs).
• Distribution: India’s North East and north, Nepal, Bhutan, China, the Indochina region and the Malaya Peninsula.

About Siju Cave

• Siju cave is a 4 km long natural limestone cave.
• Siju Cave, also known as Bat Cave in English, is located in the North East Indian state of Meghalaya near the Napak Lake and Simsang River game reserve.
• It is famous for its stalagmites and stalactites.

About Zoological Survey of India

• The Zoological Survey of India (ZSI), founded on 1 July 1916 by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change of the Government of India as a premier Indian organisation in zoological research and studies to promote the survey, exploration and research of the fauna in the country.
• Headquarters: Kolkata

https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/new-frog-species-discovered-in-cave-in-meghalayas-south-garo-hills-3937719