Question: New species of the frog (Astrobartrachus kurichiyana) is found in?
(a) Wayanad, Kerela
(b) Eastern Ghats
(c) Himalayan Region
(d) Sunder ban
Answer: (a)
Related facts:
- The starry dwarf frog, a nocturnal amphibian that lives under leaf litter on a mountain top was discovered in Kerala’s Wayanad.
- Vijayakumar S.P, the frog researcher first laid his eyes on the odd-looking frog and picked it up from atop Wayanad’s Kurichiyarmala.
- Genetic study says that its closest relatives are the Nycibatrachinae group of frogs that dwell in the Western Ghats, and the Lankanectinae frogs of Sri Lanka.
- The name of the new species of the stray dwarf frog is Astrobartrachus kurichiyana in an honour of the kurichiyana tribal community who live in the area.
- According to the genetic analysis the species is at least 60 million years old.
By Siddharth