• The findings were published in the United States of America (USA)-based peer-reviewed scientific journal, PeerJ.

• What? Discovery of two new frog species
• Name of Species: Soman’s Slender Arm Frog (Leptobrachium somani) and Mechuka Slender Arm Frog (Leptobrachium mechuka)
• By Whom? Indian scientists from University of Delhi
• Where? Arunachal Pradesh
• Published in: PeerJ
• Family: Megophryidae; Genus: Leptobrachium

About the Discovery:
Collaboration: The research was conducted over three years by University of Delhi in collaboration with the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University(United States of America, USA), through extensive field expeditions in remote regions of AR.
Classification: The newly identified frogs belong to the genus Leptobrachium of the family Megophryidae, one of the most diverse frog families globally, comprising 366 recognised species across South and Southeast Asia.

• Of the 39 Leptobrachium species recorded worldwide, only four had earlier been documented in India.

Biogeography: The Brahmaputra River acts as a major barrier, with the new species found north of it and other Indian Leptobrachium species confined to the south.
About Soman’s Slender Arm Frog :
Discovery Site: The species was discovered at Tiwarigaon in the Lower Dibang Valley of AR.
Naming & Size: Named in honour of late journalist and environmental reporter E. Somanath, the frog measures approximately 55 millimeter (mm) in length.
Appearance: It has a greyish-brown body with irregular light-grey markings and silver-grey to light-blue eyes, and inhabits evergreen forests where males call from stream banks.
Mechuka Slender Arm Frog (Leptobrachium mechuka):
Discovery Site: The species was identified near Mechuka town in the Shi Yomi district of AR, close to the India–China border.
Naming & Size: Named after Mechuka town, the frog measures approximately 60 mm in length.
Appearance: It has a uniformly brown body with a reddish tinge and silvery-white eyes, and inhabits evergreen forests and adjoining grasslands.
About Arunachal Pradesh (AR):
Chief Minister (CM)– Pema Khandu
Governor– Lieutenant (Lt.) General Kaiwalya Trivikram (K.T.) Parnaik
Capital– Itanagar
Wildlife Sanctuary (WLS) – Talle WLS, Eagle Nest WLS