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An Online Event For Amphibian Enthusiasts!
SAVE THE FROGS! India organized an online event on August 7th, 2022 to highlight the efforts underway to conserve two of India’s lesser known amphibians.
The Malabar tree toad (Pedostibes tuberculosus) is an elusive toad of India’s Western Ghats. It is a small species and is found in wet tree hollows or leaf bases containing water. Dedicated nature enthusiasts (both scientists and non-scientists) are helping determine the locations where the Malabar Tree Toads live. The story of this successful and amazing citizen science program is told by Dr. Harikrishnan S, a leading scientist of this program.
The Bengal Blotched Treefrog (Polypedates bengalensis) is a newly discovered frog from Kolkata and its outskirts. The discovery of this frog has shown us that we still have hidden gems left in an overpopulated city. Six people are associated with the discovery and description of this species and confidentially all of them are Bengalis. This has motivated film director Dr. Jyotirmay Deb to come up with a name for his documentary “Tale of a Bengali Frog”. Watch the documentary screening and listen to the director answer questions about the film.
Watch The Video Of The Event Here
Q & A
Q: In the revised Indian WLPA is malabar tree toad is listed as a protected species?
A: It is included in Schedule 2.
Q: Do they feed on ants?
A: I have seen them feeding on small ants on tree trunks.
Q: Are they poisonous like other toads
A: They have parotoid glands like other toads, and the secretion is likely to be toxic.
Q: Do these particular toads cause itching in humans but poison small animals? or just cause irritation for both humans and animals?
A: We have no information on this.
Q: Hi Hari, are there more such workshops coming up from the group?
A: The workshops focusing on Malabar Tree Toad were part of the project funded by The Habitat Trust. However, Dr. Gururaja conducts many other Frogwatch workshops in the Western Ghats of Karnataka.
Q: How many eggs do they lay?
A: Up to 250 eggs in a clutch reported in one paper.
Q: Does the project have a social media page we can follow?
A: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/frogwatchindia
Q: Instagram : @frog.watch
A: Do these toads spend their entire lives on or in trees or just occasionally?
Unsure as little is known about their ecology apart from encounters during breeding season. One paper reported collecting individuals from forest floor and vegetation.
“I thought this was a great presentation, suspenseful, loved the videos and sound recordings.”
— A frog lover in California.