Limnonectes motijheel

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News: Recently, researchers discovered Limnonectes motijheel, a new species of fanged frog, in Namdapha Tiger Reserve, Arunachal Pradesh.

About Limnonectes motijheel

AspectsDetails
About
  • Limnonectes motijheel is a newly discovered species of fanged frog belonging to the genus Limnonectes.
Discovered In
  • The species was discovered in Namdapha Tiger Reserve, Arunachal Pradesh.
Naming
  • It is named after the Motijheel Lake, a wetland within the Namdapha Reserve.
Physical Features
  • The “Fangs”: Male frogs possess small fang-like projections on the lower jaw, a feature that gives fanged frogs their name and may aid feeding or territorial behaviour.
  • Body Markings: The frog has a dark-brown line between its eyes, an inverted “V”-shaped ridge on its back, and broken folds running along both sides of its body.
  • Size: It generally measure 2.3 to 3.5 cm as adults.
Unique Nesting
  • Unlike most frogs that lay eggs in water or on leaves, this species builds a mud nest beneath leaf litter on the forest floor.
  • This behaviour has not previously been recorded in this group from India.
Unique Behavior
  • Vocalizations: Males produce distinctive calls while remaining hidden beneath leaf litter in their nests.
  • Offspring Protection: Eggs and tadpoles remain protected inside the nest under leaf litter, and researchers suggest parental care may exist in this species.
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