Four new species of burrowing frogs were discovered in the Western Ghats recently, thanks to the efforts of a PhD student at the University of Delhi.
Sonali Garg discovered three of the species in Kerala, while she found one in Mahrashtra. Three new species - Fejervarya kadar, Fejervarya manoharani, and Fejervarya neilcoxi – were found in Palakkad.
Details of the discovery were listed in Sonali's paper published on Zootaxa, a scientific journal. The young student from Uttar Pradesh has done extensive research in the field over the years, under the supervision of professor S.D. Biju of the university.
She was also part of professor Biju's team that discovered seven new species of night frogs in the Western Ghats, considered as a hotspot of amphibians. The miniature-sized frogs, including one that is small enough to sit on your thumbnail, had brought them international accolades.
(S.D. Biju, professor, department of environmental studies, University of Delhi. sdbiju.du@gmail.com)