Amolops Siju

About Amolops Siju:

• It has been named after the Suji cave where it was discovered.
• It belongs to the cascade Ranidae family and genus Amolops.
• Genus Amolops is among the largest groups of ranid frogs (family Ranidae) with 73 known species widely distributed across India’s North East and north, Nepal, Bhutan, China, the Indochina region and the Malaya Peninsula.
• Cascade frogs are named so because they prefer small waterfalls.
• It is the second time that a frog was discovered from inside a cave in the country, the first being the discovery of the Micrixalus spelunca in 2014 from a cave in Tamil Nadu.

Key facts about the Suji caves

• It is one of the longest cave systems in the world situated in the state of Meghalaya.
• It is a 4 km long natural limestone cave.

Q1) What is Limestone?

Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed primarily of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) in the form of mineral calcite or aragonite. It is formed over millions of years by the pressure and the precipitation of minerals from water.

Source:  New Frog Species Discovered In Cave In Meghalaya’s South Garo Hills