A crew of zoologists from the State have discovered the presence of Kallar dancing frog (Micrixalus herrei) within the Ranni forest division. It’s the first time that this distinctive dancing frog has been seen within the northern aspect of Shencottah Hole.
Additionally known as Kallar Torrent frog, M. herrei received its title because it was first discovered at Kallar, and its presence was restricted to the south of the Shencottah Hole.
The zoologists crew comprising Priya Thomas from BCM School, Kottayam; Gigi Ok. Joseph from Nirmala School, Muvattupuzha; and Sujith V. Gopalan from College School, Thiruvananthapuram, documented Kallar dancing frogs at Naranamthodu, Erumely, within the Ranni forest division in June 2023. They stated a considerable inhabitants of Kallar dancing frogs was current within the forest streams of Ranni and Goodrical ranges.
The discovering was revealed as “A New Record of the Kallar Torrent Frog, Micrixalus herrei Myers 1942, from the Ranni Forest Division, Kerala, India” within the newest difficulty of a world open-access journal named Reptiles & Amphibians.
Foot flagging show of a Kallar dancing frog.
“The Shencottah Gap (9° N) acts as a biogeographic barrier and plays a substantial role in the region’s speciation,” stated Dr. Gopalan.
Frogs belonging to this genus are identified for his or her distinctive foot-flagging conduct, which provides them the frequent title dancing frogs. The tadpoles of those frogs dwell underneath the gravel beds of streams, making them elusive.
In accordance with the findings of the International Amphibian Evaluation 2, 2022, Micrixalus is without doubt one of the most threatened genera of all Indo-Malayan genera and the fifth most threatened genus on this planet, with 92% of its species within the threatened class.
This discovery underscores the significance of continued analysis and exploration in these biologically wealthy areas. “The finding not only adds to the known range of M. herrei but also highlights the unique biodiversity of the Ranni forest division,” stated Ms. Thomas.
Dr. Joseph emphasised the significance of this discovery for conservation efforts. “Identifying and documenting species in various regions is crucial for developing effective conservation strategies. Each new record helps build a more comprehensive understanding of our ecosystem,” he stated.
Dr. Gopalan famous the importance of the discovering within the context of earlier analysis. “The fact that M. herrei was only known from the south of the Shencottah Gap prior to this discovery highlights the potential for undiscovered biodiversity in other regions. The work demonstrates that there is much more to learn about the range and distribution of amphibian diversity in Kerala,” he stated.
