Asian Horned Frogs are a group of small frogs found in Northeast India, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Bhutan. They belong to the genus Megophrys and most have for centuries broadly categorized into one name Megophrys parva – considered to be among the most widely dispersed species within the genus. However, recent studies have provided compelling evidence […]
Four New Horned Frogs Discovered In India
Horned Frogs are named so because of their pointy upper eyebrows but for centuries, there has been a confusion regarding their classification. In North East India for over 150 years a single species – the Jerdon’s white lipped horned frog, represented the entire family, but Dr Stephen Mahony, a National Museum (UK) scientist knew there […]
#FridayFrogFact – Indirana Gundia (Gundia Leaping Frog)
This is a guest post by Madhushri Mudke from GirlGoneBirdzz.com The word Indirana is probably derived by combining two words – India (Indi) and frogs (rana). This tells us that these frogs are known only from India, particularly the Western Ghats! They are commonly referred to as ‘Leaping Frogs’ given their behaviour and ability to jump […]
#FridayFrogFact – The Largest Tadpoles In India
This is a guest post by Madhushri Mudke from GirlGoneBirdzz.com I sat looking at the misty mountains of the Western Ghats, appreciating the landscape of Pushpagiri Wildlife Sanctuary. A slow moving stream beside me changed its colour as the sun rose from behind the mountains shining its dim orange light. I glanced at the beautiful vegetation […]
Frogs Have The Unique Ability To See Colours In Extreme Darkness
The night vision of frogs and toads appears to be superior to that of all other animals. They have the ability to see colour even when it is so dark that humans are not able to see anything at all. This has been shown in a new study by researchers from Lund University in Sweden. […]
A Kingfisher Turns Into A Frog In The Western Ghats: New Discovery
C R Naik, is a local forest official at the Karaavali area of Karnataka. Sometime back, during one of his routine monitoring of biodiversity near his coastal village, the forester came across a sound that distinctly sounded familiar. It was the sound of a Kingfisher calling. What was peculiar though that the sound was not […]
Tree Frog Found Again After 150 Years
A tree frog thought to have become extinct and not seen for 150 years was rediscovered in North east India. The discovery was made by renowned Indian biologist Sathyabhama Das Biju and a team of scientists. The frog has been named Frankixalus jerdonii. After studying the amphibian the scientists have reclassified it as an entirely […]
New Species of Golden-backed Frog Discovered
Closely following his discovery of the 14 species of dancing frogs earlier this year, the frogman of India, Professor Sathyabhama Das Biju of the Delhi University, has made yet another exciting find. Seven new species of Golden-backed frogs (Genus Hylarana) were discovered by Biju and his team in the Western Ghats-Sri Lanka global biodiversity hotspot. […]
From Eggs to Baby Frogs! Rare Indian Frog bypasses Tadpole Stage
The bubble-nest frog or white-spotted bush frog is a Critically Endangered (CR) species found in the Western Ghats of India that was discovered again after 125 years. Now, researchers have also revealed a peculiar behavioral pattern of the frog. They observed that this white frog enters into a hollow living bamboo, lays its eggs there […]
Frogs in Western Ghats Affected by Logging even after 40 Years
Frogs living in Western Ghats forests that were logged more than 40 years ago are still recovering from the impacts of deforestation, shows a recent study. Comparatively, unlogged forests had twice the number of frogs. The study also found some species of amphibians to have completely disappeared from logged areas. Rough skinned Bush frog by […]
The Song of the Indian Purple Frog
Scientists Study Rare Species With Unique Behavior UNUSUAL: Have you ever come across a weird-looking purple colored frog with a plump body and characteristic pointed snout? Chances are you have never even heard about their existence until now, because these fascinating members of the animal kingdom were only discovered as recently as in 2003. Now […]