Xenophrys apatani

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About Xenophrys apatani:

It has been named after the dominant Apatani community in recognition of their ingenuity in the conservation of wild flora and fauna.
Distribution: It is distributed along the Eastern Himalayan and the Indo-Burma biodiversity hot spots of the country.

Key facts about Apatani community

The Apatani are a tribal group of people living in the Ziro valley in Arunachal Pradesh.
Language: They speak a local language called Tani and worship the sun and the moon.
Festivals: They have major festivals like Dree, Myoko, Yapung and Murung.
- Dree is celebrated with prayers for a bumper harvest and prosperity of all humankind and Myoka celebrates friendship similar to modern friendship day.
They have been practising integrated rice-fish farming in their mountain terraces of Arunachal Pradesh since the 1960s.
They principally use three rice varieties: Emeo, Pyape and Mypia.

Key Facts about Tale Valley Wildlife Sanctuary

It is located near the beautiful Apatani cultural landscape in the Lower Subansiri District of Arunachal Pradesh.
Rivers like Pange, Sipu, Karing, and Subansiri flow through this sanctuary.
Flora: It has a stunning spectrum of subtropical and alpine forests like silver fir trees, ferns, orchids, bamboo, and rhododendron.
Fauna: Clouded leopard, Himalayan squirrel, Himalayan Black Bear etc.

Q1: What is a Biodiversity Heritage Site?

Biodiversity Heritage Site are areas that are unique, ecologically fragile ecosystems having rich biodiversity comprising of any one or more of the components such as; species richness, high endemism, presence of rare, endemic and threatened species etc.

Source: Arunachal Pradesh yields new species of horned frog