Zoologists discover new frog species in Mizoram
March 25th, 2010 - 8:22 pm ICT by IANSAizawl, March 25 (IANS) Zoologists have discovered a new frog species at a national lake in the northeastern state of Mizoram.
“The discovery was accepted, documented and published by the Auckland (New Zealand) based international scientific journal, Zootaxa, in its latest issue released Tuesday,” assistant professor of zoology at Mizoram University H.T. Lalremsanga told reporters here Thursday.
“The finding was a result of ten long years of research work in the Tamdil lake, one of the 94 national wetland areas in India,” said Lalremsanga, who led the team that discovered the frog at Tamdil national lake, about 80 km northeast of state capital Aizawl.
The new frog species - Leptolalax Tamdil, named after the lake in which it was found - is diagnosed with unique features such as eyelids with tubercles, distinct tympanum and unusual folds, undiluted toe tips with dermal fringes, long hind limbs and distinct colour patches.
The team comprises zoologists from Mizoram University, North Eastern Hill University (NEHU), Shillong, and universities of Assam and Malaysia.
Lalremsanga said: “It is a small frog, but medium-sized among Leptolalax species, the male (average) measuring 32.3 mm and female 31.8 mm.”
The zoologists and scientists believe that Mizoram is home to many more undiscovered species of flora and fauna.
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Tags: 8 mm, assam, assistant professor, auckland new zealand, colour patches, eyelids, flora and fauna, fringes, frog, frog species, hind limbs, journal zootaxa, mizoram aizawl, nehu shillong, northeastern state, state of mizoram, tympanum, undiscovered species, wetland areas, zoology