LIMNONECTES BAGOYOMA 2021

Endemic To Myanmar

The bamboo forest Bago Yoma frog is one of two new stream frogs discovered in the Bago region of Myanmar. These frogs, like their name implies, live in and around the streams of tropical forests. They are usually brown and blend into the leaf litter. They make mating calls at night during the rainy season.

Distinct from the Bago stream frog, L. bagoensis, which was described at the same time, the bamboo forest Bago Yoma frog is smaller and lacks a black stripe that the other species has running from the tip of its nose to the side of its ear. The bamboo forest Bago Yoma frog is most closely genetically related to L. limborgi, which occurs in eastern Myanmar and northwestern Thailand.

Discovered and described by a consortium of scientists from Thailand’s Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Science, East Yangon University of Myanmar and Germany’s Senckenberg Forschungs Institut und Naturmuseum, these two amphibian discoveries took place over the course of two years, during which time specimens were collected, analysed and catalogued, vocal variations recorded, and samples taken for DNA analysis.

Köhler, G., Zwitzers, B., Than, N.L., Gupta, D.K., Janke, A., Pauls, S.U. and Thammachoti, P. (2021) Bioacoustics reveal hidden diversity in frogs: Two new species of the genus Limnonectes from Myanmar (Amphibia, Anura, Dicroglossidae). Diversity 13(9): 399. doi.org/10.3390/ d13090399