Xenophrys apatani

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