Five New Species Discovered In india
India’s rich biodiversity means that scientists are constantly discovering new species and subspecies of animals every year - from tiny insects to larger mammals. Impressive examples from the past include the tree-climbing Kani Maranjandu crab from Kerala (reportedly the only crab species to live entirely in trees), and the underground-dwelling Bhupathy's purple frog from the Western Ghats, whose pig-like snout makes it different from any frog you’ve seen.
Brown in colour and approximately 40 centimetres long, Bhupathy’s Shieldtail is the latest addition to the many snake species of the Western Ghats.
Bamboo bats are not new to the Andaman Islands. However, a new subspecies — Tylonycteris malayana eremtaga — was recently discovered.
Two male bamboo bats were collected in 2015 from Bamboo Tekri, Chipo village, North Andaman Islands. However, as scientists were unsure of the identity, the bats were initially misidentified as Tylonycteris pachypus. They were later categorised as a new subspecies due to their difference in appearance. Compared to the others, the new bats have smaller and broader skulls. Also, they are greyish-brown in colour, unlike the dark brown fur of the others, and have unique genetic sequences.
Blind cave-dwelling fish
Meghalayan caves are home to species of blind fish, a type of loach. Schistura larketensis or the Khung loach is the second species to be discovered from the Jaintia hills caves in the state. Scientists believe that the fish are eyeless because of their environment. Since there is minimal or no light inside the caves, the khung loach fish evolved to depend on other enhanced sensory systems to find food and mates. They are omnivorous and feed on algal and bacterial films in the cave.
Goan Frog
Fejervarya goemchi, christened after the historical name of Goa (Goemchi, meaning ‘of the state of Goa), is the latest addition to the cricket frog species found in the state.
Discovered in the higher regions of the Western Ghats, Fejervarya goemchi is amongst the larger Fejervarya frogs, measuring at 41-46 millimetres. They are terrestrial frogs, and are found next to water bodies, particularly in the monsoon months. Although further research is ongoing, the species was categorised as unique based on its physical characteristics, geographic distribution range, and DNA analysis. This brings up the count of frog species from this genus to 21 that are exclusive to the Western Ghats.
Large geckos
Two new species of large geckos were discovered from the Eastern Ghats – Hemidactylus kangerensis and Hemidactylus sushilduttai.
The former was discovered in Kanger Valley National Park (Chhattisgarh) in the storeroom of the Park’s guest house. Thus, the species was named after the national park. Around the same time, the latter was discovered from the Mahendragiri hill ranges of the Eastern Ghats. This species was named in honour of Sushil Kumar Dutta, a pioneering herpetologist from Utkal University (Odisha), for his extensive work in the region.
These new species are large-bodied, and live in rocky habitats, occasionally entering houses or climbing trees. They are usually brown and grey in colour with intricate patterns. They can change colour quickly, and have ornate scales and small, spiky protrusions on their back.
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