New Frog Species Leptobrachium aryatium Discovered in Assam’s Garbhanga Reserve Forest.
Environment
In April 2025, a new species of frog named Leptobrachium aryatium was officially described following a 21-year-long zoological study conducted in the Garbhanga Reserve Forest, located in the southwestern part of Guwahati, Assam. The species was named in honor of Arya Vidyapeeth College, a renowned educational institution in Guwahati.
- The discovery was published in the peer-reviewed journal Zootaxa and described by four Indian zoologists — Jayaditya Purkayastha from Help Earth (an NGO based in Guwahati, Assam), Dipankar Dutta from the University of Science and Technology, Meghalaya, Jayanta Gogoi from Arya Vidyapeeth College, and Saibal Sengupta from Assam Don Bosco University.
- The newly identified frog belongs to the Leptobrachium genus, known for its stocky body structure, broad heads, short hind limbs, and striking eye colors.
- This species is distinguished by its fiery orange-and-black eyes, a reticulated throat pattern, and a smooth, rhythmic call that is most commonly heard at dusk.
Main Point :- (i) The name "aryatium" not only pays tribute to Arya Vidyapeeth College but also reflects the institution's impact on the community.
(ii) In 2022, the nearby area was renamed from "Sharabbhati" (formerly known for liquor brewing) to "Aryanagar", symbolizing a move toward community upliftment and educational pride.
(iii) Although first observed in 2004, the species was misidentified as Leptobrachium smithi — a frog species found in Southeast Asia and Bangladesh — due to limited scientific information available at that time.
____________________________
