Dancing frogs found in the Western Ghats

Recently fourteen new species of dancing frogs were discovered in the Western Ghats of peninsular India, covering Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra.  Indian scientists/biologists made this possible after extensive field studies for the last 12 years, under the leadership of University of Delhi professor Sathyabhama Das Biju. But the looming fear is that they could fade away soon.

How frogs dance

These new frog species dance just like Michigan J. Frog, the animated cartoon from One Froggy Evening. Dancing frogs have a very breeding behaviour known as foot-flagging. The male species of these tiny acrobatic amphibians actually kick and stretch their legs to attract mates, earning them their name.  This method of attracting potential mates becomes necessary as the female frogs fail to hear courtship croaks amidst the loud noise of rushing streams in the mountains of the Ghats.

The new species of so-called dancing frogs, which have been declining dramatically in number, were identified with the help of molecular DNA markers and morphological characters. These amphibians breed in fast-rushing streams after the yearly monsoon in India. The study, published in the Ceylon Journal of Science, increased the number of known Indian dancing frog species to 24.

Vulnerability of dancing frogs

Prof Biju however, laments that their habitat seems to be becoming increasingly dry, as he told to media that “it’s like a Hollywood movie, both joyful and sad. On the one hand, we have brought these beautiful frogs into public knowledge. But about 80 per cent are outside protected areas, and in some places, it was as if nature itself was crying.”

While tracking the frog populations, biologists found that the forest soils lost moisture and perennial streams mysteriously turned dry. Prof Biju also agreed that his team’s observations were only subjective and the scientists did not collect any data to demonstrate the declining habitat trends.

Dancing frogs of the Indian family, known by the scientific name Micrixalidae, evolved around 85 million years ago and are now found only in the Western Ghats. They breed after stream levels come down as they can be easily swept away in gushing mountain streams. These delicate species are extremely vulnerable to changes in rainfall, water availability and climate change.

A massive environmental protection zone across the Ghats to limit pollution by industries and human activities is the need of the hour.

picture courtesy- S.D. Biju