Kerala - Kozhikode   

Another frog species discovered

Science marvel: Nyctibatrachus dattatreyaensis, the newly-discovered frog species.

KOZHIKODE: A wrinkled night frog species has been discovered in the Shola patch forests around the Dattatreya Peeta in Chikmagalur district of Karnataka. The habitat is upstream of the Manikyadhara falls of the Chandra Drona Parvatha hill ranges of the Western Ghats.

C. Radhakrishhnan, Director, Western Ghats Field Research Station, Zoological Survey of India, Kozhikode, says the species is new to science. The frog has been named Nyctibatrachus dattatreyaensis, after the Dattatreya shrine in its habitat.

The discovery is the fruition of am effort by Dinesh K.P. and G.K. Bhatta of the Bangalore Association of Science Education and Dr. Radhakrishnan.

It has special significance since 2008 has been declared the Year of the Frog by Amphibian Ark, a joint effort of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums; the IUCN/SSC Conservation Breeding Specialist Group; and the IUCN/SSC Amphibian Specialist Group.

The main goal of this campaign is to generate public awareness and an understanding of the amphibian extinction crisis.

Nyctibatrachus dattatreyaensis is a medium-sized (about 40 mm) frog active during night. It has a high degree of small corrugations (folds) on the body with three prominent discontinuous lateral folds. The thumb pad and femoral glands are prominent in mature males. Eyes are golden yellow with black rhomboidal pupils. The upper surface of the body is reddish black to stone black with two yellow lateral bands.

In day time, the frog prefers to hide below small boulders and damp leaf litter along the slow-flowing streams of the Shola forests in the hill ranges.

The October 2008 issue of the internationally reputable journal Zootaxa of New Zealand describes the species in detail.

Studies say the species is limited to the hill ranges surrounding the Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary and is not found anywhere else in the world.

The genus Nyctibatrachus is endemic to the Western Ghats. Nyctibatrachus dattatreyaensis is one among the 16 nominal species known in the world.

Environmentalists say the Chandra Drona Parvatha hill ranges are noted for medicinal herbs. Unauthorised collection of herbs is rampant there. The area is under immense human pressure from ecotourism. The water source of the Manikyadhara falls is endangered.

Since narrowly distributed species are at a greater risk of extinction, the habitat of the frog needs to be conserved.

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