New frog species found in Meghalaya Siju cave

Subject: Environment

Section: Species in news

Context: A team of researchers from Zoological Survey of India found Amolops siju in Siju cave in 2020

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The newest croaker recorded in India is a dark cave dweller, unlike most members of the Ranidae family belonging to Amolops, a genus of true frogs.
Scientists from the Shillong and Pune units of the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) have named the new species Amolops siju after the Siju cave system of Meghalaya, from where four specimens were collected. Two of them, including a gravid female, were found in a dark zone of the cave near a chamber of bats.
This is the second cave-dwelling species of frog recorded from India after Micrixalus spelunca in Tamil Nadu nine years ago.

Amolops siju

It has been named after the Suji cave where it was discovered.
It belongs to the cascade Ranidae family and genus Amolops.
Genus Amolops is among the largest groups of ranid frogs (family Ranidae) with 73 known species widely distributed across India’s North East and north, Nepal, Bhutan, China, the Indochina region and the Malaya Peninsula.
Cascade frogs are named so because they prefer small waterfalls.
The Amolops siju is a relatively small frog, with a length of around 2.5 cm.
It is brown in colour and has a narrow snout. The frog is a semi-aquatic species and is found in the streams that flow inside the Siju Cave.

Suji caves

Siju Cave, also known as Bat Cave, is a cave located in Meghalaya, India.
It is the third longest natural cave in the Indian subcontinent and is famous for its large bat population.
It is a 4 km long natural limestone cave.

Zoological Survey of India

Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) is an organization under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India.
It was established in 1916 and is headquartered in Kolkata, West Bengal.
ZSI has regional centers located in various parts of India, including Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Port Blair, Dehradun, Jabalpur, Pune, Shillong and Kolkata.
It also has a Marine Biology Regional Centre located in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
The primary objective of ZSI is to promote the survey, exploration, research and documentation on various aspects of animal taxonomy in the Indian subcontinent.
It also provides expert advice and assistance to the Central and State Governments in matters related to conservation of wildlife and forests.
Some of the key functions of ZSI include:
- Conducting surveys and collecting data on the distribution, abundance and status of various animal species in India.
- Identifying and classifying newly discovered animal species and conducting taxonomic studies.
- Developing and maintaining a National Zoological Collection, which comprises specimens of animal species found in India.
- Undertaking research on animal taxonomy, ecology, biogeography and biodiversity conservation.
- Providing expert advice to the Government on wildlife and biodiversity conservation issues.
- Collaborating with other national and international organizations involved in wildlife and biodiversity conservation.