Multi-colour limbless amphibian Ichthyophis found in Mizoram, first in India

The multi-colour Ichthyophis, a species of limbless amphibian, which was believed to be endemic to Mynamar has been found for the first time in India.

A team of researchers in Mizoram and Assam has found this amphibian species in Mizoram's Aizawl Municipal areas, Ṭamdil National Wetland in Saitual district and in Dampa Tiger Reserve in Mamit district.

Their findings have been corroborated by morphology and DNA sequencing.

The species was previously known to be in its typical habitat more than 800 km away in Ayeyarwady Region of Myanmar. Mizoram shares borders with Myanmar.

"This species is known only from its type locality and is presently not included in the IUCN Red List. We have provided the first record of this multicolour species from Mizoram and compared this with the congenerics reported from across Northeast India. We have also provided genetic data of Icythyophis moustakius for the first time and compared this species’ molecular proximity to its congeners through molecular phylogenetic analysis," said the research article, which was published in the Journal of Biodiversity Data recently.

The research team comprised H.T. Lalremsanga, Mathipi Vabeiryureilai, Lal Muansanga, Ht Decemson, Lal Biakzual of the department of zoology, Mizoram University and Jayaditya Purkayastha, a Guwahati-based herpetologist who heads Help Earth, an NGO.

"At present, the Ichthyophis multicolor is not evaluated by the IUCN as there is scant of information on the biology of this species. With the current range extension, this lack of knowledge becomes more apparent and we also suggest that this is a data deficient species," said the research report.

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