[Herpetology • 2019] Micryletta eos • A New Microhyla Species (Anura: Microhylidae) from Riparian Evergreen Forest in the eastern Himalayan State of Arunachal Pradesh, India

Microhyla eos   

Biju, Garg, Kamei & Maheswaran, 2019

Arunachal Chorus Frog  || DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4674.1.5 

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Abstract 

A new frog species of the genus Microhyla (Anura, Microhylidae) is described from riparian mid-elevation (860 m asl) evergreen forest in Namdapha National Park, located in the eastern Himalayan state of Arunachal Pradesh, India. The new species can be morphologically distinguished from other congeners by a suite of characters such as adult size, dorsal and lateral colouration and markings, snout shape, foot webbing, and digit tip morphology. Phylogenetically, the new species is more closely related to some of the smallest known members of the genus. It forms a deeply divergent sister lineage to the clade containing members of the Microhyla zeylanica species group that are restricted to Peninsular India and Sri Lanka, and shows sequential relationship with Southeast Asian species M. superciliaris, followed by clade containing M. aurantiventris + M. butleri. The discovery indicates that novel taxa representing distinct evolutionary lineages still remain to be formally described in the genus Microhyla, especially from less explored regions such as the eastern Himalayan forests in Northeast India.

  Key words: Amphibia, Himalaya biodiversity hotspot, Microhylinae, morphology, Namdapha National Park, Northeast India, phylogeny, South Asia

Microhyla eos sp. nov. 

http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:32B8523E-69CC-4EBA-9071-919F40C73B44 

Arunachal Chorus Frog

Etymology. The species is named after the mythological Greek goddess of dawn called ‘Eos’, personifying the region of its discovery—the easternmost Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh, which is popularly known as the land of dawn-lit mountains or the land of rising sun. The species epithet eos is used as a feminine noun in apposition to the generic name. 

S. D. Biju, Sonali Garg, Rachunliu G. Kamei and Gopinathan Maheswaran. 2019. A New Microhyla Species (Anura: Microhylidae) from Riparian Evergreen Forest in the eastern Himalayan State of Arunachal Pradesh, India. Zootaxa. 4674(1); 100–116.  DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4674.1.5

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[Herpetology • 2019] Micryletta aishani • A New Species of Micryletta Frog (Microhylidae) from Northeast India

Micryletta aishani 

 Das, Garg​, Hamidy, Smith & Biju, ​2019

Northeast Indian Paddy Frog  || DOI: 10.7717/peerj.7012 

Abstract

 We describe a new species of frog in the microhylid genus Micryletta Dubois, 1987 from Northeast India based on molecular and morphological evidence. The new species, formally described as Micryletta aishani sp. nov., is phenotypically distinct from other congeners by a suite of morphological characters such as brown to reddish-brown dorsum; dorsal skin shagreened with minute spinules; snout shape nearly truncate in dorsal and ventral view; a prominent dark streak extending from tip of the snout up to the lower abdomen; ash-grey mottling along the margins of upper and lower lip extending up to the flanks, limb margins and dorsal surfaces of hand and foot; tibiotarsal articulation reaching up to the level of armpits; absence of outer metatarsal tubercles; and absence of webbing between toes. Phylogenetic relationships within the genus are inferred based on mitochondrial data and the new taxon is found to differ from all the recognised Micryletta species by 3.5–5.9% divergence in the mitochondrial 16S rRNA. The new species was found in the states of Assam, Manipur, and Tripura, from low to moderate elevation (30–800 m asl) regions lying south of River Brahmaputra and encompassing the Indo-Burma Biodiversity Hotspot. The discovery validates the presence of genus Micryletta in Northeast India based on genetic evidence, consequently confirming the extension of its geographical range, westwards from Southeast Asia up to Northeast India. Further, for nomenclatural stability of two previously known species, Microhyla inornata (= Micryletta inornata) and Microhyla steinegeri (= Micryletta steinegeri), lectotypes are designated along with detailed descriptions.

Figure 3: Micryletta aishani sp. nov. (ZSIC 14304, HT) in preservation.
(A) Dorsal view. (B) Ventral view. (C) Dorsal view of head. (D) Ventral view of head. (E) Magnified view of dorsal skin texture. (F–G) Lateral view of head. (H) Ventral view of hand. (I) Ventral view of foot.

Figure 4: Holotype and paratype specimens of Micryletta aishani sp. nov. in life.
(A) Dorsolateral view (ZSIC 14304, HT). (B) Ventral view (ZSIC 14304, HT). (C) Ventral view of foot (ZSIC 14304, HT). (D) Dorsolateral view (ZSIC 14305, PT). (E) Dorsolateral view showing lateral and groin markings (ZSIC 14310, PT). (F) Dorsolateral view (ZSIC 14310, PT). (G) Frontolateral view (ZSIC 14311, PT). (H) Dorsal view (ZSIC 14311, PT).

Micryletta aishani sp. nov.

 Northeast Indian Paddy Frog

Etymology. The species epithet, aishani, is an invariable feminine noun derived from the Sanskrit word ‘aishani’ or aiśānī (meaning north-east), referring to the Northeast regions of India where this frog was discovered.

Diagnosis. The new species is assigned to the genus Micryletta due to the following combination of morphological traits: small body size (SVL 22–28 mm); absence of vomerine teeth; prominent subarticular tubercles on fingers and toes; finger and toe tips slightly expanded in to small discs; and absence of webbing between fingers and toes (Dubois, 1987; Fei et al., 2009). Micryletta aishani sp. nov. differs from the other recognised species of the genus by the following suite of morphological characters: relatively small adult size (SVL 22.1–23.5 mm, male, N = 7; SVL 25.6–27.3 mm, female, N = 4); slender body; snout nearly truncate in dorsal and ventral view, acute in lateral view; tibiotarsal articulation reaching up to the level of armpit when stretched forward along the body axis; dorsal skin shagreened with minute spinules; outer metatarsal tubercles absent; webbing between toes absent; dorsum brown to reddish-brown with a faint brown median band extending from margins of the upper eye lids and tapering up to the vent, and few scattered blackish-brown spots on posterior parts of the back and near the groin; lateral surfaces of head blackish-brown; prominent blackish-brown streak extending from tip of the snout up to lower abdomen; ash-grey mottling along the margins of the upper and lower lip, extending up to the flanks and the limb margins; anterior and posterior parts of thigh, tarsus, and dorsal surfaces of hand and foot brown with ash-grey mottling; iris bicoloured, upper half light brown and lower half dark brown; belly ash-grey with a purplish tinge and brown mottling towards the margins.

 Known distribution of Micryletta aishani sp. nov. in Northeast India.

Distribution and natural history. Micryletta aishani sp. nov. is currently known from three Northeast Indian states of Assam, Tripura, and Manipur (Fig. 1). At the type locality (Subhong), we came across a large aggregation of calling males in the month of May at around 8.30 pm. Individuals were calling from waterlogged fern banks located at the base of a small valley between hillocks (locally called Tillas). The area is characterised by degraded forest with areca nut plants and beetle vine cultivation located close to a human settlement (∼1 km). Two females were collected from the exposed slopes of the tillas close to the congregation. The species seems to have a narrow breeding season with very specific requirements as we failed to record any individuals either before waterlogging (during early April) or once the fern banks began to submerge in water (by June). Among other anurans in the same habitat, we recorded Microhyla mymensinghensis Hasan, Islam, Kuramoto, Kurabayashi, and Sumida, Kurixalus sp., Rhacophorus smaragdinus Blyth, Raorchestes sp., and Humerana humeralis Boulenger. At Tripura and Manipur, individuals were collected from ground or leaf litter near shallow streams and marshy areas covered with thick vegetation. Collection sites were located in degraded secondary forest areas close to human settlement.

 Type localities of previously known Micryletta taxa from Southeast and East Asia, and the new species from Northeast India. 

Conclusions: 

Our description of a new species of Micryletta from Northeast India contributes to a better understanding of the diversity in this genus. The discovery also genetically validates the presence of the genus Micryletta in India and the westward extension of its geographical range within South Asia. The study provides evidence for genotypic and phenotypic distinctness of the new species from all the previously recognised congeners, designates lectoptypes for nomenclatural stability of two previously known species, and confirms the presence of additional undescribed lineages within the genus. Altogether, our work will facilitate future taxonomic, phylogenetic, and biogeographical studies in this microhylid group.

Abhijit Das, Sonali Garg​, Amir Hamidy, Eric N. Smith and S. D. Biju. ​2019. A New Species of Micryletta Frog (Microhylidae) from Northeast India. PeerJ. 7:e7012. DOI: 10.7717/peerj.7012

[Herpetology • 2019] Mysticellus franki • A New Microhylid Frog Genus from Peninsular India with Southeast Asian Affinity Suggests Multiple Cenozoic Biotic Exchanges Between India and Eurasia

Mysticellus franki

Garg & Biju, 2019

  DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-38133-x

Abstract

Anurans in Peninsular India exhibit close biogeographical links with Gondwana as well as Laurasia, often explainable by the geological history of the Indian subcontinent; its breakup from Gondwanan landmasses followed by long isolation that resulted in diversification of endemic lineages, and subsequent land connections with Asia that enabled dispersal of widespread groups. Although widely distributed, the frog subfamily Microhylinae mostly comprises of geographically restricted genera found either in Southeast and East Asia or Peninsular India and Sri Lanka. Here we report a previously unknown microhylid from the Western Ghats in Peninsular India with closest relatives found over 2,000 km away in Southeast Asia. Based on integrated evidence from mitochondrial and nuclear DNA, adult and tadpole morphology, hand musculature, male advertisement call, and geographical distance, we recognize this enigmatic frog as a distinct new species and genus endemic to the Western Ghats. The discovery of Mysticellus franki gen. et sp. nov. and its close evolutionary relationship with the Southeast Asian genus Micryletta also provide insights on the biogeography of Microhylinae. Genus-level divergences within the subfamily suggest multiple Cenozoic biotic exchange events between India and Eurasia, particularly through postulated Eocene land bridges via Southeast Asia prior to accretion of the two landmasses.

Fig 2: Distribution of Mysticellus franki gen. et sp. nov. and its closest generic relative Micryletta. Map prepared using QGIS 2.6.1 (http://www.qgis.org).

 Image credits: Micryletta inornata (M.A.M.M. Akil), Micryletta erythropoda (J. Rowley) and Micryletta steinegeri (N.A. Poyarkov Jr.).

Fig 1: Diagnostic characteristics of Mysticellus franki gen. et sp. nov.
(a–f) Adult in life. (a) Holotype (ZSI/WGRC/V/A/966, male) in dorsolateral view; (b) holotype (male) and paratype (ZSI/WGRC/V/A/971, female) in amplexus; (c) two ‘false-eye’ like spots on the back; (d) lateral markings; (e) dorsal view; (f) ventral view.

 (g–i) Tadpole in life. (g) Lateral view; (h) dorsal view; (i) ventral view.
 (j–k) Male advertisement call. (j) One second call segment showing pulsatile temporal structure; (k) spectrogram of one second call segment.

(l–n) Hand musculature. (l–m) Palmar view of Mysticellus franki gen. et sp. nov. (SDBDU 2015.2870, left hand). (l) Flexor teres digiti III (FT III) passing ventrally to both slips of m. transversus metacarpus 1 (TM 1); (m) two previously unreported accessory flexor muscles on digiti III and IV (labeled as “1” and “2” respectively); 

(n) palmar view of Micryletta inornata (KU 328192, left hand) showing FT III dorsal to the proximal slip of TM 1 and ventral to the distal slip. Abbreviations: TM I: m. transversus metacarpus I, FT III: m. flexor teres digiti III, LBB III–IV: m. lumbricalis brevis digiti III–IV. Scale bars = 0.5 mm.

Amphibia Linnaeus, 1758

Anura Fischer von Waldheim, 1813

Microhylidae Günther, 1858 (1843)

Microhylinae Günther, 1858 (1843)

Mysticellus gen. nov.

Type species: Mysticellus franki sp. nov.

Etymology: The genus name, Mysticellus, is a masculine noun derived from the Latin mysticus (meaning mysterious) + ellus (a diminuitive), highlighting the ability of this small frog to remain out of sight despite its occurrence in wayside areas surrounding human settlements.

Suggested common name: Mysterious Narrow-mouthed Frog.

Diagnosis: The new genus Mysticellus differs from other Microhylinae genera by the combination of following characters: small adult snout-vent size (male SVL 23.0–27.5 mm, N = 5; female SVL 27.0–28.9 mm, N = 2), slender body; snout longer than eye length, male SL 2.8–3.0 mm, 2.9 ± 0.1 mm, N = 5, female SL 3.0–3.2 mm, 3.1 ± 0.1 mm, N = 2 vs. male EL 2.4–2.6 mm, 2.5 ± 0.1 mm, N = 5; female EL 2.5–2.7 mm, 2.6 ± 0.1 mm, N = 2; absence of maxillary and vomerine teeth; finger and toe tips rounded, with small discs; presence of well-developed subarticular tubercles on all fingers and toes, rounded, alternating with additional smaller tubercles; prominent inner metatarsal tubercle and a small outer metatarsal tubercle on foot; webbing between fingers absent; rudimentary webbing between toes; lateral surfaces from tip of the snout up to the groin prominently dark blackish-brown; two prominent dark blackish-brown ‘false-eye’ like spots on either side of the groin extending just above the hind legs; a thin mid-dorsal line invariably extending from tip of the snout up to the vent; ventral surfaces of throat, belly, arms and legs dark brown with a violet tinge and various sized greyish-white blotches and speckles. This new genus can also be distinguished from other members of the subfamily by its hand musculature in having the m. flexor teres digiti III ventral to both slips of the m. transversus metacarpus 138; and the dorsal surface with two previously unreported flexor muscles on digits III and IV, one lateral to the m. lumbricalis brevis digiti III, and the other medial to the medial slip of the m. lumbricalis brevis digiti IV (Fig. 1).

Fig 1: Diagnostic characteristics of Mysticellus franki gen. et sp. nov. (a–f) Adult in life. (a) Holotype (ZSI/WGRC/V/A/966, male) in dorsolateral view; (b) holotype (male) and paratype (ZSI/WGRC/V/A/971, female) in amplexus; (c) two ‘false-eye’ like spots on the back; (d) lateral markings; (e) dorsal view; (f) ventral view. (g–i) Tadpole in life. (g) Lateral view; (h) dorsal view; (i) ventral view. 

Fig 1: Diagnostic characteristics of Mysticellus franki gen. et sp. nov.
 (j–k) Male advertisement call. (j) One second call segment showing pulsatile temporal structure; (k) spectrogram of one second call segment.
(l–n) Hand musculature. (l–m) Palmar view of Mysticellus franki gen. et sp. nov. (SDBDU 2015.2870, left hand). (l) Flexor teres digiti III (FT III) passing ventrally to both slips of m. transversus metacarpus 1 (TM 1); (m) two previously unreported accessory flexor muscles on digiti III and IV (labeled as “1” and “2” respectively); (n) palmar view of Micryletta inornata (KU 328192, left hand) showing FT III dorsal to the proximal slip of TM 1 and ventral to the distal slip. Abbreviations: TM I: m. transversus metacarpus I, FT III: m. flexor teres digiti III, LBB III–IV: m. lumbricalis brevis digiti III–IV.  Scale bars = 0.5 mm.

    

Mysticellus franki sp. nov

Etymology: The species name, franki, is a Latin genitive honoring evolutionary biologist Prof Franky Bossuyt (Vrije Universiteit Brussel), recognizing his role in global amphibian research and education, and particularly for his contribution to the study of Indian amphibians.

Suggested common name: Franky’s Narrow-mouthed Frog.

Ecology and Behavior: A large number of animals usually aggregate around temporary water collection sites about two to three days after the first monsoon showers. Individuals were collected from grass adjacent to water puddles in a small wayside quarry (about 25 m2 area). The specific site was located close to a secondary forest. Breeding activities were observed only for four to five days, after which the animals disappeared and no individuals could be located despite repeated visits. Tadpoles (stage 34) were observed at the same site towards the end of July (Fig. 1g–i). Calling males exhibited a peculiar behavior of raising the hind part of their body displaying a pair of black ‘false-eye’ like spots. On some occasions, similar behavior was observed when individuals were disturbed, suggesting that the ‘false-eye’ spots may be serving a defensive role against predators (Fig. 1c).

Distribution: Mysticellus franki gen. et. sp. nov. is presently known only from the type locality in southern Western Ghats region of Kerala, Peninsular India (Fig. 2).

Fig 3: Maximum likelihood phylogram showing the phylogenetic position of Mysticellus franki gen. et sp. nov. in the subfamily Microhylinae. Bayesian Posterior Probabilities (BPP) and RAxML Bootstrap support values (BS) are shown above and below the branches, respectively.

 Image credits: Glyphoglossus (B. Tapley), Metaphrynella (A. Figueroa), Micryletta (N.A. Poyarkov Jr.) and Phrynella (D. Bickford).

Sonali Garg and S. D. Biju. 2019. New Microhylid Frog Genus from Peninsular India with Southeast Asian Affinity Suggests Multiple Cenozoic Biotic Exchanges Between India and Eurasia. Scientific Reports. volume 9, 1906.  DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-38133-x

 twitter.com/SDBiju1/status/1095656846994530304
 facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=2427544630653323

 timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/67976288.cms 

Nuevo género y especie de rana endémica de los Ghats occidentales (India)  nationalgeographic.com.es/naturaleza/actualidad/nuevo-genero-y-especie-rana-endemica-ghats-occidentales-india_13889 via @natgeoesp

   

    

[Herpetology • 2018] Delineating Microhyla ornata (Anura, Microhylidae): Mitochondrial DNA Barcodes Resolve Century-old Taxonomic Misidentification

Microhyla mukhlesuri, 

M. mymensinghensis (Hasan et al. 2014)  

 M. nilphamariensis (Howlader et al. 2015)  

Microhyla ornata (Duméril & Bibron, 1841)

in Garg, Das, Kamei & Biju, 2018

  DOI: 10.1080/23802359.2018.1501286 

ABSTRACT 

Microhyla ornata, a species originally described from the southwest coast of India in 1841, was long reported to be wide-ranging throughout South, Southeast, and East Asia. Although the name M. ornata is restricted to populations from South Asia, the species is still considered to occur widely in India and its neighboring regions. To clarify the identity and geographical distribution of M. ‘ornata’, we performed DNA barcoding using a fragment of the mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene from 62 newly obtained samples. Our results show that this taxon is restricted to Peninsular India and Sri Lanka, whereas, populations from the other parts represent three different species – M. mukhlesuri, M. mymensinghensis, and M. nilphamariensis, creating new country records for India. Our work reemphasizes the benefits of DNA barcoding for rapidly identifying populations of widespread species and provides insights into the patterns of genetic differentiation in the M. ‘ornata’ species complex of South Asia. 

KEYWORDS: 16S; cryptic species; DNA barcoding; haplotype network; species distribution

Figure 1. DNA barcoding based on mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene sequences ( 540 bp). (A) Maximum Likelihood RAxML tree from total 145 newly sampled and previously available populations of Microhyla mukhlesuri, M. mymensinghensis, M. nilphamariensis, and M. ornata, along with sequences representing 24 other Microhyla species. Kaloula pulchra was used as the outgroup taxon. Bayesian Posterior Probabilities and RAxML bootstrap values >50% are indicated above and below the branches, respectively. Closed circles indicate samples from the present study; open circles indicate GenBank sequences. Geographical distribution of species is shown on the right panel. (B) Frequency distribution of intra- and interspecific sequence divergences for Microhyla mukhlesuri, M. mymensinghensis, M. nilphamariensis, and M. ornata, based on uncorrected and K2P pairwise distances.

Figure 2. Median-Joining haplotype network based on 147 mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene sequences from six closely related Microhyla species. Circle sizes are proportional to the number of haplotype sequences involved, as represented with numbers inside the circles. Black circles represent median vectors. Each branch represents one mutation step; black bars represent additional mutation steps. A schematic representation of species relationships with respect to geographical distribution is shown over the map.

Microhyla mukhlesuri, M. mymensinghensis (Hasan et al. 2014), 

M. nilphamariensis (Howlader et al. 2015) 

Microhyla ornata (Duméril & Bibron, 1841)

Sonali Garg, Abhijit Das, Rachunliu G. Kamei and S. D. Biju. 2018. Delineating Microhyla ornata (Anura, Microhylidae): Mitochondrial DNA Barcodes Resolve Century-old Taxonomic Misidentification.  Mitochondrial DNA Part B. 3:2; 856-861.  DOI: 10.1080/23802359.2018.1501286

tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/23802359.2018.1501286

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Hasan M, Islam MM, Kuramoto M, Kurabayashi A, Sumida M. 2014. Description of two new species of Microhyla (Anura: Microhylidae) from Bangladesh. Zootaxa. 3755:401–418.  DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3755.5.1

https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/e2ad/d84e79ea7f42982b4ff48de0b598bd5292af.pdf   

Mohammad Sajid Ali Howlader, Abhilash Nair, Sujith V. Gopalan and Juha Merilä. 2015. A new species of Microhyla (Anura: Microhylidae) from Nilphamari, Bangladesh. PloS ONE. 10:e0119825. DOI:  10.1371/journal.pone.0119825

[Herpetology • 2017] Description of Four New Species of Burrowing Frogs in the Fejervarya rufescens complex (Dicroglossidae) with Notes on Morphological Affinities of Fejervarya Species in the Western Ghats

Fejervarya kadar, Fejervarya manoharani,
Fejervarya neilcoxi & Fejervarya cepfi

Garg & Biju, 2017

DOI:  10.11646/zootaxa.4277.4.1 

Abstract

The Rufescent Burrowing Frog, Fejervarya rufescens, is thought to have a wide distribution across the Western Ghats in Peninsular India. This locally abundant but secretive species has a short breeding period, making it a challenging subject for field studies. We sampled 16 populations of frogs morphologically similar to F. rufescens in order to understand the variation among populations found across the Western Ghats. Our study shows significant morphological and genetic differences among the sampled populations, suggesting that F. ‘rufescens’ is a complex of several undescribed species. Using evidence from morphology and genetics, we confirm the presence of five distinct species in this group and formally describe four as new. The new species were delineated using a phylogeny based on three mitochondrial genes (16S, COI and Cytb) and a haplotype network of a nuclear gene (Rag1). Hereafter, the distribution of F. rufescens is restricted to the state of Karnataka and adjoining regions of northern Kerala. Three new species (Fejervarya kadar sp. nov., Fejervarya manoharani sp. nov. and Fejervarya neilcoxi sp. nov.) are from regions south of Palghat gap in the state of Kerala, and one (Fejervarya cepfi sp. nov.) from the northern Western Ghats state of Maharashtra. These findings indicate that Fejervarya frogs of the Western Ghats are more diverse than currently known. Our results will also have implications on the conservation status of F. rufescens, which was previously categorized as Least Concern based on its presumed wide geographical distribution. Furthermore, in order to facilitate a better taxonomic understanding of this region’s fejervaryan frogs, we divide all the known Fejarvarya species of the Western Ghats into four major groups—Fejervarya nilagirica group, Fejervarya rufescens group, Fejervarya sahyadris group and Fejervarya syhadrensis group, based on their morphological affinities.

Keywords: Amphibians, bioacoustics, multi-gene DNA barcoding, India, integrative taxonomy, molecular phylogeny, new species, species diversity, Western Ghats

Taxonomic accounts and description of new species 

Fejervarya rufescens (Jerdon, 1853) 

Rufescent Burrowing Frog (Daniels 2005)

Original name: Pyxicephalus rufescens Jerdon, 1853. Catalogue of reptiles inhabiting the Peninsula of India, Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, 22: 522–534. 

Fejervarya kadar sp. nov. 

Kadar Burrowing Frog

Etymology. The species is named after the Kadar tribe of Kerala, who live in the Vazhachal forest where the type series was collected. We enjoyed their support and hospitality during amphibian field studies in the region. The specific epithet kadar is treated as an invariable noun in apposition to the generic name. 

Fejervarya manoharani sp. nov. 

Manoharan’s Burrowing Frog 

Etymology: This species is named for Mr TM Manoharan, who severed as the Head of Kerala Forest Department for over a decade, for providing encouragement as well as personal financial support to SDB during the initial phases of his scientific career. The species epithet manoharani is treated as a noun in the genitive case. 

Fejervarya neilcoxi sp. nov. 

Neil Cox’s Burrowing Frog

Etymology: This species is named for Dr Neil Cox, Manager of the IUCN-Conservation International Biodiversity Assessment Unit. Neil has been associated with the IUCN Red List in a variety of capacities including species assessment and management, and the new species is named particularly in appreciation of his contribution towards the Global Amphibian Assessment. The species epithet neilcoxi is treated as a noun in the genitive case.

Fejervarya cepfi sp. nov. 

CEPF Burrowing Frog

Etymology. The species is named after the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund  www.cepf.net (CEPF) for its effort to protect global biodiversity hotspots by providing grants in general, and specifically for a grant supporting research and conservation planning in the Western Ghats biodiversity hotspot through the Project Western Ghats Network of Protected Areas for Threatened Amphibians www.wnpata.org (WNPATA) to SDB (University of Delhi). The specific epithet cepfi is treated as a noun in the genitive case.

  Sonali Garg and S.D. Biju. 2017.  Description of Four New Species of Burrowing Frogs in the Fejervarya rufescens complex (Dicroglossidae) with notes on Morphological Affinities of Fejervarya Species in the Western Ghats. 

Zootaxa. 4277(4); 451–490.  DOI:  10.11646/zootaxa.4277.4.1

Indian scientists discover four new frog species in Western Ghats  hindustantimes.com/indian-scientists-discover-four-new-frog-species-in-western-ghats/story-zIvfKo8I3Om05zCYWYR4sI.html

 

 S K. Kiran, V. S. Anoop, K. C. Sivakumar, Raghunathan Dinesh, J. P. Mano, Deuti Kaushik and George Sanil. 2017. An Additional Record of Fejervarya manoharani Garg and Biju from the Western Ghats with A Description of Its Complete Mitochondrial Genome. Zootaxa. 4277(4); 491–502.  DOI:  10.11646/zootaxa.4277.4.2