“What’s in a name?” Well, apparently alot! A new frog species discovered in Bengaluru has now been named after the city, Bengaluru. A group of researchers gave this frog species the scientific name of Sphaerotheca Bengaluru. Commonly it’s also known as the Bengaluru burrowing frog. Now citizens of Namma Bengaluru will definitely find this quite amusing. However, there is an important reason behind this name. It’s named after the city to highlight the gap holes in documentation of the amphibians from non-forested areas. And it’s the aim of researchers to restore frog habitats in Bengaluru through this unique manner. Read on to know more.
New Frog Species Named After City Bengaluru
A group of researchers from Mount Carmel College, National Museum of Natural History in France, Indian Institute of Science, Yuvaraaja’s College and Zoological Survey of India discovered a new species of burrowing frog in Bengaluru. They gave it the scientific name Sphaerotheca Bengaluru. According to The New Indian Express, they published their findings in the Zootaxa journal. And for common use, named it as “Bengaluru burrowing frog.”
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Researchers Named Frog Species Bengaluru To Urge People To Revive Freshwater Bodies In The City to Help Frogs Inhabit
Researchers discovered this frog in North Bengaluru, during a survey around Rajankunte. These frogs belong to the species of burrowing frogs. Yet, there are differences in gene sequence and morphology. Deepak P, the assistant professor of zoology at Mount Carmel College Bengaluru states to The New Indian Express, “Frogs need water to complete their life cycle. Urban water bodies such as lakes are rapidly depleting in Bengaluru and this will pose a threat to them. We found the habitat of this species on the outskirts of the city, where there is agriculture and horticulture land, with temporary water sources dependent on rain.”
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Researchers put out a statement to reveal to Bangaloreans the reason they named this frog species Bengaluru. According to them, they did this to draw attention to the lack of awareness and documentation of these amphibians in non-forested areas. Researchers also wish to urge people to restore freshwater bodies in Bengaluru, so frogs can inhabit in the city. Meanwhile, visit Bengaluru’s first zero-waste juice bar, Eat Raja in Malleshwaram.
First Published: November 30, 2020 2:55 PM