What is Alcalus fontinalis?

About Alcalus fontinalis:

• It is a newly discovered species of frog.
• It was discovered in the Namdapha Tiger Reserve, Arunachal Pradesh.
• The frog appeared to be a mix of a bush frog and a water frog.
• The researchers used multiple lines of evidence using morphological, osteological, and molecular analysis, revealing they are no ordinary frogs but members of a dwarf mountain frog of the genus Alcalus, hitherto unknown from India.
• It was formally named Alcalus fontinalis, meaning “spring or fountain,” referencing the tiny streams or brooks where the frog was found.
• The new species stands out from its congeners due to a unique combination of morphological features.
• These include a snout-vent length of 27–28 mm in males and 29.9–36.2 mm in females, a disc on fingers and toes with a horizontal/transverse groove on the dorsal surface, wrinkled dorsal skin, and a pair of faint dorsolateral stripes on the back.

Key Facts about Namdapha Tiger Reserve:

• It is India’s easternmost tiger reserve. 
• It is located in the Changlang district of Arunachal Pradesh, near the international border with Myanmar. 
• The area is located between the Dapha Bum ridge of the Mishmi Hills, outspurs of North Eastern Himalayas and the Patkai Ranges. 
• It was declared in the year 1983.
• Vegetation: Evergreen Forests, Moist deciduous forests, sub-tropical forests, Temperate Forests and Alpine. 
• Climate:
  • The Namdapha Protected area, being 27 degrees north of Equator, enjoys a sub-tropical climate.
  • However, the climate of the area varies from place to place inside the protected area due to variations in altitude from 200 m to 4571m and the area also being a zone of heavy rainfall.
• Namdapha river: 
  • Namdapha is, in fact, the name of a river which originates from Daphabum and meets the Noa-Dehing River.
  • This river flows right across the reserve in a North-South direction and hence the name Namdapha.
• Flora: The Botanical Survey of India has recorded 73 species of lichens, 56 species of Bryophytes, 110 species of Pteridophytes, 5 species of Gymnosperms, and 801 species of Angiosperms.
• Fauna: Elephants, Himalayan Black Bear, Himalayan Sun Bear, Hoolock Gibbon (only Ape in India), Slow Loris, large herbivores such as Goral, Serow, Sambar, Pig, and Malayan Giant Squirrel.