Rare Sri Lankan Frog Species Sighted In Andhra's Eastern Ghats For The First Time

Two rare species, the Polymorphic Sri Lankan Brown Eared Shrub Frogs and Sri Lanka Golden Backed Frog were sighted in the Seshachalam hills of Chittoor district and near the Palamaneru Kaundinya forest area at Gounithimmepalli respectively. The Brown Eared Shrub Frog has been seen after nearly 220 years, scientists said.

Hyderabad:Two rare species of Sri Lankan frogs were sighted in the Eastern Ghats of Andhra Pradesh.

The scientists from the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) and the Andhra Pradesh Biodiversity Board have identified Pseudophyllautus regius, the Polymorphic Sri Lankan Brown Eared Shrub Frogs and Sri Lanka Golden Backed Frog, Rana gracilis. Pseudophyllautus regius was sighted in the Seshachalam hills of Chittoor district and the Rana gracilis in a pond near the Palamaneru Kaundinya forest area at Gounithimmepalli.

This is for the first time ever that these two rare species have been sighted in India. Ecosystem plays an important role in the survival of organisms. Some are becoming extinct due to environmental changes, while others are rarely seen. Scientists have sighted such rare amphibians. In recent times, studies and research on amphibians in the Eastern Ghats have been going on extensively and in the context of climate change, special attention has been paid to environmental protection.

Research has shown that amphibians migrated from Sri Lanka to the Eastern Ghats during the Pleistocene period, which is around 10,000 years ago. This fact has been proved true with the sighting of the two rare species, Polymorphic Sri Lankan Brown Eared Shrub Frogs and Sri Lankan Golden Backed frogs from the Eastern Ghats, which has stood as an instance of good environment conditions and biodiversity.

The two frogs were brought to the Hyderabad ZSI office and DNA tests were conducted. On the identification of the Sri Lankan Pseudophyllautus regius in the Eastern Ghats, an article was also published in the internationally renowned New Zealand journal, Zootaxa, said Bhupathi Srikanthkumar, Researcher, ZSI, Hyderabad

The sudden emergence of lesser-known vertebrates in the country and that too from the Eastern Ghats has made the scientists happy. In the Hialeahs and Western Ghats, most of the studies and researches were done on biodiversity. Scientists said that the emergence of such frogs in the Eastern Ghats implies that the environment is good here since these species survive only in unpolluted areas.

According to researchers, during the Pleistocene period, there were land and forest routes between India and Sri Lanka. The Sri Lankan bush frog was earlier sighted in Sri Lanka in 2005. It is a common frog in the forests of that country. After two decades, it has been seen in the Eastern Ghats, which is 700 km away. It is said to be a reminiscent of the Pleistocene period.

Three species related to the Sri Lankan bush frog were found in the Western Ghats. Now, after more than 220 years, the Brown Eared Shrub Frog has been sighted.

Sri Lanka is known for its 75 species of Pseudophyllautus diversity and the Western Ghats are famous for three species. Now the same has been sighted in the Eastern Ghats, which is densely forested and known for biodiversity. Many more rare frog species are likely to be sighted in the Eastern Ghats in the future, Dr Kartapandi, scientist, ZSI, Hyderabad said.

The ZSI has its headquarters in Kolkata while its regional office is in Hyderabad. This centre conducts research and study on living organisms in freshwater, seawater, and sewage water in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana states. They make recommendations to central and state governments, respective ministries, and organizations on category-wise conservation measures from micro-organisms to animals

Also, they collect monkeys, snakes, turtles, fishes, cats, peacocks, mice, frogs and preserve many species in the museum for educational purpose. The organization also creates awareness of species conservation, elimination of plastic, and reduction of air and water pollution. That is why scientists say that there is a need to conserve natural resources that are more valuable than gold in terms of environment and biodiversity, said Dr. SK Rahmanuma Sultana, Assistant Zoologist, ZSI, Hyderabad.

There are about 7,000 frog species across the world. Frogs like Burrowing Frogs, Green Frogs, Bull Frogs, Painted Frogs, Asian Common Toad, and Narrow Mouthed Frogs in India are very sensitive. They are rapidly disappearing due to destruction of habitats and changing climate conditions.

Scientists said that around 100 species of frogs remain unrecognised in the country. Many of these species are said to have been wiped out before their discovery. Researchers said that 19 types of golden-backed frogs have been identified so far in the Indian subcontinent. These frogs are mainly found in wetlands, agricultural land, and grasslands.

These newly discovered frogs were found in the Eastern Ghats. This means that these frogs can survive only where the ecosystem is good otherwise, they too would have become extinct, scientists say.

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