UPSC Prelims Current Affairs for 23 April 2026

Limnonectes motijheel Latest News

Indian scientists recently discovered a rare, fanged mud-nesting frog, Limnonectes Motijheel, in Namdapha Tiger Reserve, Arunachal Pradesh.

About Limnonectes motijheel

• It is a new species of frog.
• It was discovered from Namdapha Tiger Reserve in Arunachal Pradesh.
• It is named after Motijheel Lake, known for its rich amphibian diversity.
• It belongs to a group commonly called Fanged Frogs, named for small, fang-like projections in the lower jaw of the males. Scientists say this feature may aid feeding or territorial behaviour. 
  • These frogs are found across South and Southeast Asia and are known for their unusual breeding habits.
• The new species has been placed within the genus Limnonectes, which now counts six known species in India.
• Unlike most frogs that lay eggs in water or on leaves, this species builds a nest out of mud beneath leaf litter on the forest floor. This is a behaviour not previously recorded in this group from India.
• The frog also has a distinct appearance. The amphibian has a dark-brown line running between its eyes, an inverted "V"-shaped ridge along its back, and broken folds running down either side of its body.
• Size: 
  • Frogs of the Limnonectes group are typically medium-sized amphibians.
  • They generally range between 2.3 to 3.5 centimetres as an adult. 

Key Facts about Namdapha Tiger Reserve

• Namdapha, a national park and tiger reserve, lies on the international border between India and Myanmar within Changlang District in the state of Arunachal Pradesh.
• It is located at the junction of the Indian Sub-Continent Bio-geographic region and the Indo-China Bio-geographic Region.
• It is nestled between the Dapha Bum ridge of the Mishmi Hills of the northeastern Himalayas and the Patkai ranges.
• It has a common boundary with Kamlang Wildlife Sanctuary (Arunachal Pradesh).
• River: The Namdapha River (a tributary of the Noa-Dihing River) flows right across in a north-south direction of this reserve, and hence the name Namdapha has been given.
• Vegetation: It consists of Northern Tropical Evergreen Forest, North Indian Tropical Moist Deciduous Forests, East Himalayan Moist Temperate Forests, and Moist Alpine Scrub Forests.
• Flora:
  • It consists of species like Pinus merkusi and Abies delavavi being exclusive to the park.
  • It is home to the Blue Vanda, which is a rare and endangered orchard.
  • It also consists of medicinal plants like Mishimi Teeta (Copti teeta), which is used by the local tribes to treat different types of diseases.
• Fauna: 
  • Elephants, Himalayan Black Bear, Himalayan Sun Bear, Hoolock Gibbon (only ape in India), Slow Loris, etc.
  • It is the only park in the world to have the four feline species of big cats, namely the Tiger (Panthera Tigris), Leopard (Panthera Pardus), Snow Leopard (Panthera Uncia), and Clouded Leopard (Neofelis Nebulosa) and numbers of lesser cats.

Source: MC