Raorchestes asakgrensis

23.11.2024

Raorchestes asakgrensis

Why in the news?

           A new frog species named Raorchestes asakgrensis was recently discovered from Meghalaya.

About Raorchestes asakgrensis:

• It is a new species of frog.

It was named after the Eman Asakgre Community Reserve in the Garo Hills of Meghalaya, where it was discovered, to honour the local community’s support in conservation efforts.

Features of the new species:

• Found at an elevation of 174 meters in Eman Asakgre, this small arboreal frog is distinctive for its pointed snout and visible tympanum.
• Males measure about 20.49 mm in snout-vent length, with females slightly larger at 22.8 mm.
• Males call from shrubs at dusk, perched 1.5 meters or higher, with calling activity peaking after the first monsoon rains.

What is a Community Reserve?

• Conservation reserves are protected areas which typically act as buffer zones to or connectors and migration corridors between established national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, and reserved and protected forests.
• Such areas are designated as conservation reserves if they are uninhabited and completely owned by the Government of India but used for subsistence by communities and community reserves if part of the lands is privately owned.
• These protected area categories were first introduced in the Wildlife (Protection) Amendment Act of 2002, the amendment to the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972.
• There are 220 existing community reserves in India, covering an area of 1455.16 sq.km.
• 108 of the 220 community reserves are in the northeastern states of Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, and Nagaland.
• Maximum number exists in Nagaland (114).

                                                       Source: The New Indian Express

‘Raorchestes asakgrensis’, recently seen in the news, is a:

A) Newly discovered species of frog

B) Critically endangered species of bird

C) Recently discovered medicinal plant

D) New flowering plant species

Answer A