
Photo: Knowyourland · CC0
Amolops adicola
Habitat
Open, fast-flowing riverine stretches (adults and tadpoles)
Range
Upper Siang and Upper Subansiri districts, Arunachal Pradesh, India (about 350-564 m)
The Adi cascade frog, Amolops adicola, was described in 2021 by Patel, Garg, Das, Stuart and Biju in the Journal of Natural History, in a paper that also resolved the position of the poorly known montane cascade frog A. monticola. It was discovered while retracing a century-old expedition into the Adi hills in 2018, and is named for the Adi people. The type locality is the Adi hills along the Mossing River between Tuting and Jengging in Upper Siang district. It belongs to the A. monticola group and was told apart by external form, DNA and its call. (news reports on the original description).
It is known only from open riverine habitat at about 350 to 564 m in Upper Siang and Upper Subansiri, the latter added by a 2022 report. Both adults and tadpoles are adapted to fast-flowing sections of stream, so small dams, altered stream flow for farming and the removal of boulders are the main threats. (news reports and Reptiles & Amphibians 2022).