A new frog species called Leptobrachium bompu belonging to class Eastern Spadefoot Toad is recorded in Sarpang. With this, Bhutan now has 57 amphibian species.
The record of the new species was published in the Journal of Threatened Taxa this year. It is an International Journal for publication of research, findings and reviews related to conservation and taxonomy of flora, fauna and fungi.
The frog was spotted at Pakhola at Jigmecholing in Sarpang in 2015 at an altitude of 1,610 metres above the sea level.
Pakhola is one of the primary tributaries of Simkhar River. The watershed is known to host amphibians due to the presence of natural lakes and swampy areas. The area is also habitat for other frog species.
Jigme Tenzin, the forester who discovered bompu says out of 1.42 km length of Pakhola stream, the frog was recorded only from one spot which indicates the rarity of its population. This species has distinctive eye colour- blue, vertical iris and noticeably wrinkled skins, which differentiate from other species.
He also said there is more likely to discover new species from Bhutan if research activities are extended to entire districts.
Jigme Tenzin along with his colleague Jigme Tshelthrim Wangyal carried out the study on the new frog record to help understand the range and conservation status of the species.
Leptobrachium Bompu draws its name from a campsite called Bampu in Arunachal Pradesh where it was first discovered. It is also found in Gelin village and Buqiong lake in China.
The study suggests that the frog probably prefers moss-laden rocks for hiding, damp and swampy areas for sustenance, and slow-flowing hill streams for breeding and reproduction.
The study concludes that owing to the rarity of the population of this species, a separate study on abundance, distribution patterns, and conservation threats be carried out for the conservation of this species.
The species is also relatively new to science because of which there is a lack of adequate information on its significance in the eco-system.
