Researchers from the Zoological Survey of India, in partnership with the Andhra Pradesh Biodiversity Board, rediscovered the Sri Lankan golden-backed frog (Hylarana gracilis) after two centuries in the Koundinya wildlife sanctuary in the Chittoor district, the southernmost point of the Eastern Ghats in Andhra Pradesh. With this finding, the number of freshwater frog species in India rises to 20.
Bharath Bhupathi from the Zoological Survey of India, Hyderabad, encountered frogs of this species near a pond in the forest and suspected that it could be a new species. However, after consulting taxonomic experts and utilising morphological and DNA barcoding tools, the species was confirmed to be the Sri Lankan golden-backed frog Hylarana gracilis.
Mr. Bhupathi emphasizes that rediscovery is more significant than the discovery of a new species, as it provides evidence for the historic land bridge between India and Sri Lanka.
