Tiny frog species found in Western Ghats

Scientists exploring the forests of the Western Ghats have come across four new species of tiny frogs no bigger than a human thumbnail, which make a distinctive chirping sound comparable to that of a cricket.

These species are among the seven new ‘Night Frogs’ discovered by a team of researchers from the University of Delhi and the Kerala Forest Department, who spent five years surveying the global biodiversity hotspot.

Night Frogs belong to the Nyctibatrachus genus endemic to the Western Ghats and represent an ancient group of frogs that diversified on the Indian landmass approximately 70 to 80 million years ago.

The scientists were surprised by the relative abundance of the previously unknown species at their collection localities.

“The minuscule frogs have probably been overlooked because of their extremely small size, secretive habitats and cricket-like calls,” says Sonali Garg who undertook the study as part of her Ph.D research at the University of Delhi.

The scientists used an integrated taxonomic approach that included DNA studies, detailed morphological comparisons and bioacoustics to confirm the new species. The findings have been published in the latest issue of PeerJ, an open access journal.

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