On a rainy night on 6 July 2015, we encountered an arthropod of the genus Scutigera feeding on a juvenile Western Tree Frog, Polypedates occidentalis. Commonly known as the house centipede, the Scutigera spp we saw was chewing on the eye of the froglet. We made observations for about five minutes and continued on our survey as part of the annual “Bisle frog watch” activity. The froglet seemed to be stunned with venom, as it never moved. This incident was … Read More
Gliding Frogs of India
Gliding frogs of the genus Rhacophorus are a unique and spectacular group in the arboreal frog family Rhacophoridae. These tree dwelling frogs are one of diverse and the oldest group, globally. They began to radiate about 50-60 million years ago (between Paleocene to Oligocene) and are distributed largely in South and S. E. Asia, and Africa. The rapid diversification occurred just about the time in which modern day angiosperm plants diversified (Roelants et al. 2007).
In India, there are … Read More
Chalazodes Bubble Nest Frog
The Chalazodes Bubble Nest frog (Roaorchestes chalazodes) is one of India’s critically endangered frog. The species, originally described by Günther in 1876 based on a single specimen that is now located in the British Museum of Natural History, was lost to science for about 136 years. It was thought to be extinct until recently, when it was rediscovered in the remote forests of Kalakad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve, Tamil Nadu by Dr. Ganesan R, Seshadri.K.S and Dr. Biju S.D. … Read More
12 New Frog Species Discovered in India
A team of scientists who have spent years combing tropical mountain forests have found 12 new frog species as well as rediscovered 3 that were thought to be extinct. SD Biju of Delhi University, who headed the team has said that frogs are extremely important indicators of the climate change and pollutants in the environment. Globally, as many as 32% of amphibian species are facing extinction due to habitat loss as well as pollution. Many of the new frogs found, … Read More
Lost Amphibians of India (LAI) Initiative Coming to a Close
The Lost Amphibians of India (LAI), run by a team of field biologists from Delhi University, is about to come to a close. The project’s vision was to locate 52 ‘lost’ species of amphibians across India. The oldest in the list was a frog last seen in 1834 in Bengal. The youngest is a Caecilian last seen in 1992 in Kerala. A year of search in 17 states, involving 280 members from 20 teams has resulted in 70 percent of … Read More
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