Rain-loving creatures found mating in ‘muddy puddles’ in India. They’re a new species
As rain poured down on a city in southern India, a pair of orange-spotted creatures emerged from their burrows. The duo met in a “muddy puddle” to breed, but they weren’t the only ones braving the downpour.
Nearby scientists found the rain-loving animals — and discovered a new species.
Researchers visited the suburban areas around Bengaluru on several wildlife surveys between 2019 and 2021, according to a study published Jan. 31 in the peer-reviewed journal Zootaxa.
During some “torrential rains,” researchers encountered several orange-spotted frogs that didn’t match any records, the study said. They took a closer look at the animals and quickly realized they’d discovered a new species: Sphaerotheca varshaabhu, or the Varshaa burrowing frog.
Varshaa burrowing frogs are considered “medium-sized,” reaching about 1.5 inches in length, researchers said. They have “robust, stocky” bodies, “rounded” snouts and “slightly warty skin.”
A photo shows a Varshaa burrowing frog. Overall, it has a blotchy brown coloring with some greenish patches and small orange spots. Its eyes are speckled with metallic bronze.
Varshaa burrowing frogs were not seen during dry weather, the study said. Instead, these frogs were found eating, mating in “muddy pools” and calling during rainstorms and monsoons.
Researchers said they named the new species “Varshaabhu,” a combination of the Sanskrit words for rain, or “varshaa,” and “taking birth,” or “bhu,” because of its breeding behavior.
So far, the new species has only been found “in a few pockets” of land near Bengaluru, the study said.
Bengaluru is one of the largest cities in India and still growing. The city is in the southern state of Karnataka and about 1,000 miles southeast of New Delhi.
“This discovery challenges our preconceptions about where new species can be found,” the study’s lead co-author, P. Deepak, said in a news release shared with McClatchy News. “The fact that such a unique frog has been living right under our noses in the heart of Bengaluru city is truly remarkable.”
“We hope that this discovery prompts increased attention to the importance of urban biodiversity conservation,” another study co-author K.P. Dinesh said in the release.
The new species was identified by its skin texture, size, coloring and habitat, the study said. DNA analysis found the new species had at least 3% genetic divergence from other burrowing frogs.
The research team included P. Deepak, K.P. Dinesh, K.S. Chetan Nag, Annemarie Ohler, Kartik Shanker, Princia D Souza, Vishal Kumar Prasad and J.S. Ashadevi.
This story was originally published February 1, 2024 at 7:50 AM with the headline "Rain-loving creatures found mating in ‘muddy puddles’ in India. They’re a new species."
