Varanasi, Oct. 3 -- The Marbled Cascade Frog (Amolops marmoratus), found in the Darjeeling and Kalimpong regions of the Himalaya Biodiversity Hotspot, faces a dual threat from genetic isolation and traditional hunting, according to a new study.

Locally known as 'Sisne Paha' or 'Sisne Paa', the frog has been harvested by local communities for generations for food and traditional medicine. A study involving 12 scientists from the University of Calcutta, Banaras Hindu University, the Zoological Survey of India, Darjeeling Government College and Tamralipta Mahavidyalaya has conducted a detailed DNA analysis of the species for the first time.

The findings, published in the international journal BMC Genomics, showed that the population in the...