WCS 3-Sentence Science

India Welcomes a New Frog Species

December 13, 2019

CREDIT: ANIRBAN CHAUDHURI

Each year, Wildlife Conservation Society scientists publish more than 300 peer-reviewed studies and papers. “WCS 3-Sentence Science” is a regular tip-sheet — in bite sized helpings — of some of this published work.

Here we present work by WCS’s Anirban Chaudhuri on a new species of frog found in West Bengal, India.

1. A new species of frog, Polypedates bengalensis, is described from the state of West Bengal, Eastern India.
2. The mid-size frog, SVL ranges from 47.9–53.6 mm in males and 72.0 mm in the single female, and is diagnosable in showing the digits lack webbing, inner and outer metacarpal tubercles present; no dermal fold on forearm; toes webbed, and other characteristics.
3. The new species is compared with known species of the genus Polypedates.

Study and Journal: “A new species of Polypedates Tschudi, 1838 (Amphibia: Anura: Rhacophoridae) from West Bengal State, Eastern India” from Zootaxa
WCS Co-Author(s): Anirban Chaudhuri, WCS India Program

For more information, contact: Stephen Sautner, 718–220–3682, ssautner@wcs.org.