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THE HINDU (Chennai, India) 05 September 08 Limbless frog-relative species found
Photo at URL below: New Find: A rare limbless frog-relative species found in the Kalakad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve.
Tirunelveli: A rare limbless burrowing frog-relative species has been spotted by scientists at the Kaakkaachi-Naalumukku area of the Kalakad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve in the western ghats.
The new species, Uraeotyphlus gansi, has been named after 80-year old Carl Gans, a renowned herpetologist of Texas, who has contributed much to the Indian herpetological studies, especially the burrowing snakes and limbless amphibians, and the spotting of a rare limbless burrowing Caecilian was published in Herpetologica, an international scientific journal, in last July.
According to Albert Rajendran, Reader, Research Department of Zoology, St. John’s College, Palayamkottai, spotted the species, along with his collaborator David J. Gower of the Natural History Museum, London, and two other experts in Caecilians. He came across these limbless amphibians in the Kaakkaachi-Naalumukku areas with precise locality during his study of the burrowing Uropeltid (shield-tailed) snakes of the western ghats.
Dr. Gower, a herpetologist, gave clues to the morphometric characters of these animals. Dr. Carl Gans was closely associated with the late M. V. Rajendran, father of Dr. Albert Rajendran, during his study of the Indian Uropeltid snakes. Dr. Albert collected two specimens of the same species of Caecilian in 1989, along with Dr. Gans, who had camped here to study south Indian reptiles and amphibians. Those specimens were also compared with the present finding.
Further studies of the various characters of this amphibian and comparison with holotype specimens of other closely related species of Indian Caecilians found in the Natural History Museum and the Bombay Natural History Society confirmed it to be a rare species, found only in a particular region of the Kalakad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve, spread over 900 sq.km.
The reserve, housing roughly 14 tigers, is blessed with tropical evergreen forests, unique riverine forests and extensive grasslands meandering through shola forests in the upper reaches, the sources of perennial water in 14 major rivers and many tributaries and streams. This amazing quantum of water and the ecological services of the reserve cannot be compared with any other areas in India. It is the lifeline of Tirunelveli, Tuticorin and Kanyakumari districts.
http://www.hindu.com/2008/09/05/stories/2008090552640500.htm
Photo at URL below: New Find: A rare limbless frog-relative species found in the Kalakad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve.
Tirunelveli: A rare limbless burrowing frog-relative species has been spotted by scientists at the Kaakkaachi-Naalumukku area of the Kalakad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve in the western ghats.
The new species, Uraeotyphlus gansi, has been named after 80-year old Carl Gans, a renowned herpetologist of Texas, who has contributed much to the Indian herpetological studies, especially the burrowing snakes and limbless amphibians, and the spotting of a rare limbless burrowing Caecilian was published in Herpetologica, an international scientific journal, in last July.
According to Albert Rajendran, Reader, Research Department of Zoology, St. John’s College, Palayamkottai, spotted the species, along with his collaborator David J. Gower of the Natural History Museum, London, and two other experts in Caecilians. He came across these limbless amphibians in the Kaakkaachi-Naalumukku areas with precise locality during his study of the burrowing Uropeltid (shield-tailed) snakes of the western ghats.
Dr. Gower, a herpetologist, gave clues to the morphometric characters of these animals. Dr. Carl Gans was closely associated with the late M. V. Rajendran, father of Dr. Albert Rajendran, during his study of the Indian Uropeltid snakes. Dr. Albert collected two specimens of the same species of Caecilian in 1989, along with Dr. Gans, who had camped here to study south Indian reptiles and amphibians. Those specimens were also compared with the present finding.
Further studies of the various characters of this amphibian and comparison with holotype specimens of other closely related species of Indian Caecilians found in the Natural History Museum and the Bombay Natural History Society confirmed it to be a rare species, found only in a particular region of the Kalakad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve, spread over 900 sq.km.
The reserve, housing roughly 14 tigers, is blessed with tropical evergreen forests, unique riverine forests and extensive grasslands meandering through shola forests in the upper reaches, the sources of perennial water in 14 major rivers and many tributaries and streams. This amazing quantum of water and the ecological services of the reserve cannot be compared with any other areas in India. It is the lifeline of Tirunelveli, Tuticorin and Kanyakumari districts.
http://www.hindu.com/2008/09/05/stories/2008090552640500.htm