Mandookavani — An Acoustic Guide to the Frogs and Toads of the Western Ghats
by Ramya B, Seshadri K S, Ramit S and Gururaja K V.
Western Ghats are home to over 200 species of frogs and toads. It amounts to about 50% of the amphibian diversity in India. Collectively called anurans, each species of frogs and toads have their own unique ‘voice’. These vocalizations, as ‘calls’ or ‘songs’, are a means of communication which male anurans use to woo … Read More
Gliding frogs of the genus Rhacophorus are a unique and spectacular group in the arboreal frog family Rhacophoridae. These tree dwelling frogs are one of diverse and the oldest group, globally. They began to radiate about 50-60 million years ago (between Paleocene to Oligocene) and are distributed largely in South and S. E. Asia, and Africa. The rapid diversification occurred just about the time in which modern day angiosperm plants diversified (Roelants et al. 2007).
In India, there are … Read More
This field guide to the amphibians of the Western Ghats is not just a tool for researchers.
Did you know that most toads tend to have poisonous glands while most frogs don’t? Frogs also feel slimier when held, while toads are rough. Also, there are several very bright, even beautiful, frogs and toads.
“I find them all beautiful,” says Gururaja K.V., who has been researching amphibians since 1998 and has recently put together a guide titled Pictorial Guide to Frogs … Read More
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