Researchers from the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) have documented 13 new amphibian species in Northeast India, marking a major contribution to the region’s biodiversity. According to the study, six species were found in Arunachal Pradesh, three in Meghalaya, and one each in Assam, Mizoram, Nagaland, and Manipur.

The study, carried out between 2019 and 2024 with support from the National Geographic Society and the Meghalaya Biodiversity Board, focused on the genus Raorchestes. Newly identified species include R. lawngtalaiensis in Mizoram, R. barakensis in Assam, R. narpuhensis and R. boulengeri in Meghalaya, R. monolithus in Manipur, and R. khonoma in Nagaland. Species recorded in Arunachal Pradesh include R. eaglenestensis, R. magnus, and R. nasuta.

The research team was led by PhD scholar Bitupan Boruah of WII, along with herpetologists Abhijit Das of WII and Deepak Veerappan of the Natural History Museum, London, and Newcastle University, UK. The study used acoustic, genetic, and morphological analysis, and also examined century-old museum specimens from the India–Burma region to resolve longstanding taxonomic gaps.

Covering 81 locations across eight states, including 25 protected areas, the study also revised species distributions and synonymised four previously described species. With these discoveries, the total number of known bush frog species in India has increased from 82 to 95.

Published in Vertebrate Zoology, the research addresses key taxonomic ambiguities of the region’s “tik-tik” bush frogs and provides new insights for conservation and ecological studies.