June 2006: With the onset of the monsoon and the sound of falling rain… the Indian subcontinent comes alive to the croaks, clicks and reverberating calls of frogs and toads. When the sun sets, the silence of the hills is shattered as thousands of frogs and toads break into song. Almost nothing can top this hormone-driven natural orchestra where ‘boy seeks girl' and vice versa. Understandably, herp aficionados can hardly wait for the Indian monsoon, as this is the best possible time to trek through wildernesses in search of amphibians, such as these incredible and diverse creatures, all spotted in the Western Ghats of India. As many as 107 species belonging to the order Salientia have been recorded there, of which more than 78 are endemics.
Naturalist and photographer Sachin Rai allows us a glimpse into this amazing world and longs for the day when ‘the public' would actually understand the importance of protecting these very useful creatures. The last decade has seen a drastic decline in amphibian populations. Some suggest that increased UV-B radiation thanks to holes we have punched in the ozone layer, is to blame. It appears that the shell-less amphibian eggs and the delicate skins of adults and tadpoles make them especially vulnerable and that this may have lead to amphibian die-offs, slowed growth rates and embryo mortality. Probably a combination of this and other factors including climate change, habitat destruction and fragmentation and pollution of waterbodies with chemical contaminants is to blame.
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1. INDIAN BULL FROG Hoplobatrachus tigerinus
The largest Indian frog; this yellowish creature has young ones that are green in colour, probably so that they can hide easily. The male, though smaller and darker than the female, turns bright yellow in the breeding season. Its large size impedes speed and it is relatively easy to catch up with and photograph this slow-moving frog. The bull frog will come out once the monsoon has set in and will deposit its eggs in and around small waterbodies. It has a prodigious appetite and may consume its body weight in insects in 24 hours, thus performing a vital pest control service that is part of nature's balancing trick.
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2. BRONZE FROG Rana temporalis
The bronze frog can be seen sitting on rocks or logs near streams. This speedy creature moves fast on land and water. Females are larger than males. A pale line along the sides and a fold of the skin that runs from behind the eye to its waist are easy markers that can help even amateur naturalists to positively identify the species in the wild.
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3. JERDON'S RAMANELLA Ramanella montana
A greenish-brown frog with black spots all over its body, it sports round, enlarged discs on its extremities that help it to cling to branches. It bloats its body and calls out during the breeding season from or near small waterbodies.
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4. COMMON INDIAN TOAD Bufo melanostictus
The largest and the most common of all Indian toads, this impressive creature is found in nearly every part of India, in both cities and forests. Most individuals have a black line around their eyes, with two rows of warts running from behind the eyes to the shoulder. The male is decidedly more yellow in the breeding season, which is probaby what attracts the large female toads.
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5. BI-COLOURED FROG Rana curtipes
A forest frog, this creature is endemic to the Western Ghats. The non-breeding male has a grey back with black markings along its sides, while a breeding male will change to sport a golden-yellow back. It does not seem to spend much time near water, until the breeding season arrives when it can best be seen in static pools and small streams.
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6. COMMON TREE FROG Polypedates maculatus
Generally active at night when it hunts for small insects and other invertebrates, the common tree frog prefers to rest in a cool place during the day. Courtship also takes place after dark. Once a perfect spot close to water is found, the pair will mate, creating a whitish foam nest. This is then attached to rocks, or leaves and twigs overhanging the water. The morning sun hardens the nest but within a couple of days, or when rain falls, the nest will dissolve, releasing the tadpoles that will drop conveniently into the water below the carefully-located nest.
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7. KOYNA TOAD Bufo koynaensis
Smaller than the common Indian toad, this species is found in the northern Western Ghats where a host of streams and rivulets now empty into the Koyna reservoir, which destroyed an immense amount of natural habitat when the dam was built. The toad ranges in colour from yellow to reddish black.
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8. MALABAR GLIDING FROG Rhacophorus malabaricus
The “tak tak" notes of this frog resound during the breeding season. The green Malabar gliding frog has the perfect colouration to camouflage it in its emerald world. The prominent orange-red webs on its limbs allow it to glide from tree to tree, a feat it performs by stretching its limbs away from its body, spreading the webbing and gliding to a new perch. Naturalists are still debating why this beautiful frog's toes are a sparkling yellow with whitish lower parts.
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9. BOMBAY BUSH FROG Philautus bombayensis
One of over 40 species of bush frogs of the genus Philautus, this creature is one of the smallest frogs in India. New species are constantly being discovered and described in recent days. Found on small bushes, the frog is active at night, when it feeds on tiny insects and moths.
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10. BEDDOME'S FROG Indirana beddomii
A fast-moving frog found on the forest floors, it is endemic to the Western Ghats. It prefers to hunt around moist leaf litter, wet rocks and flowing water. When disturbed, it is capable of making long leaps to make good its escape. It is common in and around the forests of the Western Ghats.
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11. INDIAN BURROWING FROG Tomopterna breviceps
A stout-looking amphibian, the Indian burrowing frog resembles a toad and is often mistaken for one by lay persons. Widely distributed, as its name suggests it spends much of its time in underground burrows. A small, disc-like digging appendage on the sole of its hind limbs helps it excavate burrows in wet sand, soil and debris. It will leave its burrows early in the monsoon in search of a mate.
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12. FUNGOID FROG Rana malabarica
This handsome land frog is recognised by its flashy, bright orange back and black markings along its sides and back. It sports white limbs. Young ones will be marked with yellow on their backs. A slow-moving frog, it is found on the forest floor and on low vegetation. When frightened, it releases a pungent odour that is probably distasteful to potential predators.
Photographs by Sachin Rai, Sanctuary Asia, Vol XXVI No. 3, June 2006
