X mass Frog, Shillong Bubble nest frog (Raorchestes shillongensis) Case Study
Home > Biodiversity Nature & People > Conservation Philanthropy > Grants > MBZF Grant 152511345
Continent: Asia
Country: India
Grant Amount: $6,000
Awarded Date: December 08, 2015
abhijit das
wildlife Institute of India
Chandrabani, post box no 18
Dehradun
Uttarakhand
248001
India
Tel: 0135-2640111-115, extension 205
Mob: +919435149576
Xmas bush frog conservation project, Shillong, India.
This project enabled us to provide first ever biological information for a critically endangered Rhacophorid frog from Northeast hotspot region of India. Further based on fresh material we redescribed the species and determined its Phylogenetic position. We studied reproductive biology and compared with South Asian lineages.
Raorchestes shillongensis is a critically endangered bush frog which is endemic to Northeast India. The species was described by Pillai and Chanda in 1973 from Malki forest of Shillong city, Meghalaya. Since after the description no study carried out on the species, it has lacked of information regarding phylogeny, distribution and natural history. Therefore, to provide information that can augment its conservation, we carried out the study during May and August, 2016.
Our study provided first distribution map of the species with significant addition of distributional localities. We redescribed the species with molecular data along with morphology and acoustic behaviour. These information will help to know the biogeography and taxonomy of the bush frogs in the Indo-Chinese region. Observation on reproductive biology of the species reveled critical information on its acoustic characteristics, breeding microhabitats and oviposition sites. This study fills the gap of knowledge on reproductive behaviour of the bush frogs of Northeast India and is crucial for the conservation of such threatened species. Moreover, A short documentary on Raorchestes shillongensis is produced which will help in increase the awareness among the local people of the region.
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