An annotated checklist of amphibians in and around Dampa Tiger Reserve, Mizoram, India

Abstract

Amphibians are an integral part of the ecosystem and act as an ecological indicator. As several species are added to the list of threatened species every year due to loss of habitat, it is important to understand the role of unmanaged landscape for sustenance of amphibian diversity. In this study, 28 amphibian species were recorded from different modified habitat including 19 new records for Dampa Tiger Reserve (DTR) and its surrounding areas. Further, six species, Amolops indoburmanensis, Limnonectes khasianus, Microhyla mukhlesuri, M. mymensinghensis, Raorchestes rezakhani, and Sylvirana lacrima are new distribution records for the state of Mizoram and out of these, two species, Raorchestes rezakhani and Sylvirana lacrima, are new country records for India. Amongst the recorded species, four species are Data Deficient, two Vulnerable, 14 Least Concern, and eight species are not assessed as per the IUCN Red List. Within the core and buffer areas of DTR, we found that natural perennial stream, puddles, canals, natural ponds, fish ponds, roadside, primary forest, secondary forest, paddy fields, and human settlement areas are excellent microhabitats for amphibian population and need to be conserved for their rich ecological niches.

DNA barcoding reveals the first record of the Burmese Whipping Frog, Polypedates mutus (Anura: Rhacophoridae), from India

“…Mizoram is an important part of the Indo-Burma biodiversity hotspot, as it contains a diverse flora and fauna. Studies within the last decade have revealed new records of amphibians in the state (e.g., Chaitanya et al 2017;Lalremsanga 2017aLalremsanga , 2017bLalremsanga , 2017cLalbiakzuala and Lalremsanga 2019;Decemson et al 2020Decemson et al , 2021Kundu et al 2020;Lalremsanga et al 2020Lalremsanga et al , 2021aLalremsanga et al , 2021bMalsawmhriatzuali et al 2020;Muansanga 2020;Muansanga et al 2020Muansanga et al , 2021aMuansanga et al , 2021b. Additional surveys combined with more stable systematics are likely to identify additional species in the region.…”

A new record of the Banladeshi Cricket Frog, Minervarya asmati (Howlader, 2011), from Manipur State, with comments on the occurrence of the Paddy Frog, Fejervarya multistriata (Hallowell, 1861) (Anura: Dicroglossidae), in Mizoram, India

“…was originally described from Hathazari, Chittagong District, Bangladesh, and later recorded from Dhaka District, Bangladesh (Sarker et al 2012), and Nazipur, Rajshahi Division, Naogoan District, Bangladesh (Ahmad and Alam 2013). In India, the species has been recorded from Aizawl District (Lalronunga et al 2017) and the Dampa Tiger Reserve, Mamit District (Decemson et al 2021), in Mizoram. The conservation status of this species has not been assessed for the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (Dinesh et al 2020).…”

New distribution and elevational records and intraspecific variation in the Assam Forest Frog, Hydrophylax leptoglossa (Cope 1868) (Anuran: Ranidae), in Mizoram, India

“…The genus Hydrophylax consists of four currently recognized species of which the Assam Forest Frog (Hydrophylax leptoglossa) occurs in the northeastern Indian states of Assam, Tripura, Meghalaya, and Mizoram (Frost 2021). In Mizoram, the species has been reported previously from the Dampa Tiger Reserve in Mamit District (Pawar and Birand 2001;Decemson et al 2021), and from Kolasib District (Lalremsanga et al 2007).…”