 | This article relies largely or entirely on a single source .(December 2025) |
| Raorchestes barakensis | |
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Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Amphibia |
| Order: | Anura |
| Family: | Rhacophoridae |
| Genus: | Raorchestes |
| Species: | R. barakensis |
| Binomial name | |
| Raorchestes barakensis Boruah, Deepak & Das, 2025 | |
Raorchestes barakensis, also known as Barak Valley bush frog, is a newly described species of bush frog found in India. [1]
It is a small frog with a snout–vent length of 16.7–21.0 mm in adult males. The head length is equal to or less than the head width. The snout length is less than or equal to the eye length. The internarial distance is less than or equal to the inter-upper eyelid width and greater than the upper eyelid width. Vomerine teeth are absent. Males possess a nuptial pad on the first finger. The skin on the dorsum has spinules intermixed with blunt tubercles. There is a brown marking on the dorsum, with brown crossbars on the forearm, thigh, and tibia. The discs on the inner two fingers are yellow. A key diagnostic feature is the presence of a bony projection on the humerus on the ventral aspect. [1]
This species is widely distributed in the hills ranging south of Brahmaputra valley. It has been recorded from Borail Wildlife Sanctuary, Assam; Pungro, Nagaland; Hmuifang and Dampa Tiger Reserve, Mizoram; Lamdan Kabui, Manipur to Namdapha Tiger Reserve, Arunachal Pradesh. [1]
The species is found in forests, recorded from shrubs and bamboo thickets at perch heights of approximately one metre above the ground, within an elevation range of 50–1500 m above sea level. [1]
Males call at night. The advertisement call is a single type, pulsatile, and mostly emitted at regular intervals. Mean call duration is 714.0 ± 909.05 ms, with a mean dominant frequency of 3718.47 ± 119.97 Hz. [1]
The specific epithet barakensis is a toponym derived from the name of the Barak River in Assam, India, where the type locality is situated. [1]
Phylogenetically, it is sister to Raorchestes jakoid . It is distinguished from its congeners by the combination of its small size, head proportions, absence of vomerine teeth, presence of a nuptial pad only on the first finger, specific dorsal pattern and limb crossbars, yellow finger discs, and the unique bony projection on the humerus. [1]