A dozen new nightfrog species found in India - 3 'lost ' frogs rediscovered

Three 'lost' species rediscovered after decades

September 2011: Scientists have discovered a dozen new species of nightfrogs in the forests of Western Ghats in India.

LOST THEN FOUND: The Coorg nightfrog

The 12 species were identified after a revision of the nightfrog genus Nyctibatrachus, following 20 years of field studies in the Western Ghats, a global biodiversity hotspot for wildlife richness and endemism. Morphological traits and molecular markers were used to recognize the new species. 

Findings include the rediscovery of three ‘lost' species: Kempholey nightfrog, rediscovered after 75 years, Coorg nightfrog, found after 91 years and the Forest night frog, last seen 75 years ago. These frogs were first described in the 1920s and 1930s - but there had been no further reports since.

Frogs are environmental barometers
Frogs are environmental barometers and are very sensitive to subtle changes in their environment. They lived alongside dinosaurs, which have long since disappeared, but amazingly frogs continue to exist. Unfortunately, their existence is precarious. If the present trends in extinction continue, many frogs could disappear for ever.

Thirty-two percent of the world's amphibian species are threatened with extinction.

‘Amphibians are popularly known as environmental barometers. They indicate the state of environmental health. Their conservation is extremely vital not only from an amphibian's point of view but also from the perspective of overall nature conservation,' explains Delhi University Professor S. D. Biju, who led the research.

Six of the newly species are from unprotected, highly degraded habitats and require immediate attention to conserve these species and their habitats. The nightfrogs require unique habitats - either fast-flowing streams or moist forest floor for breeding and survival. Further, it is the only group of frogs that can reproduce without any physical contact.

‘The major threat to amphibians in India is massive habitat loss. Taking any conservation effort for amphibians will indirectly conserve several other important biodiversities of that area,' said Prof Biju.