Two new bush frog species have been discovered at the Silent Valley National Park, renowned as a repository of biodiversity.
The species were found in a survey conducted by researchers and naturalists led by Anil Zachariah, veterinarian, and Robin Abraham, amphibian researcher, Kansas University, US. It is published in the latest issue of Salamandra , a German herpetological journal.
“The new species belongs to the bush frog genus Raorchestes and is located in the cloud forests of the Sispara and Thudukki sections of Silent Valley National Park,” Dr. Zachariah told The Hindu .
One species has been named Raorchestes silentvalley in commemoration of the people’s struggle to preserve this tract of tropical forest and grasslands in the south west of the Nilgiris, he said.
Watershed moment
The Save Silent Valley movement was a watershed moment in India’s environmental history, which mobilised the public to debate the topic of environmental protection versus mindless development, Dr. Zachariah added.
The second species is named Raorchestes lechiya after the late Mr. Lechiyappan, a forest watcher who guided scientists in the park for rapid surveys, which helped in the region’s eventual declaration as a national park, Mr. Abraham said.
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