Indian scientists discover miniature frog species in Western Ghats

The discovery of news species and the abundance in which these previously unknown frogs have been found surprised scientists. The miniature frogs are found damp forest leaf litter or marsh vegetation,unlike other frogs species that are found in streams and wet areas. “These frogs are locally abundant and fairly common but they have probably been overlooked because of their extremely small size, secretive habitats and insect-like calls”, says Sonali Garg, one of the researchers comparisons and bioacoustics studies in the lab before they are confirmed as new species. Evidence from these studies have confirmed that the diversity of night frogs is higher than previously known
and particularly remarkably for the miniaturized forms. These species belonging to a genus known as Nyctibatrachus are endemic to the Western Ghats and represents an ancient group of frogs that diversified on the Indian landmass approximately 70–80 million years ago. The study results appeared on Tuesday in scientific journal PeerJ.One of the new species discovered close to Athirappilly falls, site for a proposed mega hydroelectric project, has been named Athirappilly Night Frog , while another found in the surroundings of Sabarimala temple located inside the Periyar Tiger Reserve has been named after Sabarimala.