New frog species found in India

Mon Sep 19, 2011

Indian scientists from Delhi University have discovered about 12 new frog species settling under the rocks of tropical mountain forests.

Many of the newly found frogs are rare and living in a single area with a particular habitat, the MSNBC reported.

The new species include the meowing night frog, whose croak sounds more like a cat's call, the jog night frog, unique in that both the males and females watch over the eggs, and the Wayanad night frog, explained biologist and the project's lead scientist, Sathyabhama Das Biju.

Wayanad night frog grows to about the size of a baseball or cricket ball. It almost seems like a monster in the forest floor, a huge size for a frog, jumping up and down, Biju added.

According to the Global Wildlife Conservation group, around 32 percent of the world's known amphibian species are threatened with extinction, mainly due to the habitat loss or pollution.

"Frogs are extremely important indicators not just of climate change, but also pollutants in the environment," said Biju.

"We first have to find the species, know them and protect them, so that we can study them for their clinical importance," he continued.

The team hopes the new discovery will attract attention to India's amphibians and their role in studying the environment health.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.com/detail/200053.html.