Scientists from Delhi University and Harvard University have discovered five new species of horned frogs in India's eastern Himalayan region, according to Ratopati.

The team identified the species after a five-year field study, and the finds more than double the number of known species in the 'Jingophrys' group.

The five newly named species are Jingophrys tanitataei (Tani Horned Frog), Jingophrys tanogogo (Snail-eating Horned Frog), Jingophrys xiangensis (Xiang Horned Frog), Jingophrys hardyi (Hardy's Horned Frog), and Jingophrys woollarsi (Woollars' Horned Frog).

The standout among the new species is Jingophrys tanogogo, the snail-eating horned frog. Ratopati reports it is the first frog known in India to eat snails, and the first species in its entire biological family to have such a diet recorded.

Researcher Biju told the outlet that some of the new species are very shy, appearing in remote forests only during the short breeding season — which helps explain how they stayed undocumented for so long.

The study, titled 'Two-fold Hidden Diversity of Diminutive Horned Frogs (Megophryinae: Jingophrys)', was published in the journal Royal Society Open Science on November 11, per Ratopati.

DNA analysis showed the frogs diversified rapidly in the eastern Himalayas during the formation of the Himalayan mountain range millions of years ago and the development of the Asian monsoon.

The research team said the discovery was made possible by cooperation and knowledge from local indigenous communities, and some species were named to honor them — the Tani Horned Frog combines the local Tani tribe with 'tati', the Apatani word for frog.

The Himalayan region, stretching from tropical forests to high alpine meadows, is considered one of the world's richest biodiversity hotspots, yet many parts remain unexplored, Ratopati notes — with Arunachal Pradesh among the least studied areas.

Dr. Sonali Garg, who led the study at Harvard University's Museum of Comparative Zoology, said the research shows how significant evolutionary changes in less-studied species can be overlooked. Researchers say further study is needed to understand the frogs' biology and conservation needs.

In a separate discovery underscoring how much remains undocumented, Report.az reports that a previously unknown moth species has been found in the Arkalyk Mountains of eastern Kazakhstan.

According to the outlet, citing Kazakh media, the moth has been named Scythobrya kozybayevi in honor of Manash Kozybayev, the renowned Kazakh historian, academician and researcher, whose 95th birth anniversary falls this year.

A description of the species has been published in the international scientific journal Entomological Studies.