BANGALORE'S FROGS AT RISK! - Sanctuary Asias-Frogs-at-Risk.pdf · Bangalore’s Frogs at Risk! This...
1
Toads are frogs adapted to a life on drier land. They have a rough skin, and hardly any webbing on their feet. Two species of toads (Duttaphrynus) are found in Bangalore: Common Toad D. melanosticuts (above) and Ferguson’s Toad D. scaber (below). Bull Frogs (Hoplobatrachus) are large aquatic frogs once used for dissections in class. Males are very combative during the breeding sea- son. Jerdon’s Bull Frog H. crassus (above) has a distinct and visible ear drum. The Indian Bull Frog H. tigerinus (below) male turns yellow in the breeding season and has a cobalt blue vocal sac. Burrowing frogs are known to wrig- gle backwards into soft squelchy earth, to hide completely and fall torpid. They have a small digging apparatus on their hind limbs. Bangalore has the Indian Burrowing Frog Sphaerotheca breviceps (above) and Roland’s Burrowing Frog S. rolandae (below). The frogs in this panel and the next two, are unique in having a visibly narrow mouth (gape), which is per- haps linked to their habit of picking up prey from the ground, rather than grab them from the air. The Painted Frog Kaloula taprobanica (above) and Variegated Ramanella Frog Ramanella variegata (below) have dilated toes, linked to a climbing habit, and are often found in tree holes. The Ornate Narrow-mouthed Frog Microhyla ornata (above) and the Red Narrow-mouthed Frog M. rubra (below) are extremely small, just about 2cm in length and are also known to burrow into soil. Balloon Frogs burrow into wet loose soil and remain there through sum- mer. They are slow on the ground and have an indistinct ear drum. Indian Balloon Frog Uperodon glob- ulosus (above) and Marbled Balloon Frog U. systoma (below) have been recorded from Bangalore. The only floating frogs, the Common Skittering Frog Euphlyctis cyanophlyctis (above) and the Six- toed Frog E. hexadactylus (below) are aquatic. The Six-toed Frog has a tubercle which appears as an additional toe. The former has a habit of skimming over the surface of the water and escaping when disturbed. The Bicoloured Frog Clinotarsus curtipes (above), is an aquatic frog which is very rare in Bangalore. Has a habit of sitting upright. Known to mass migrate to water for breeding; the froglets are known to move out enmass too. The Wrinkled Frog Fejervarya caperata (above) is a semi aquatic frog with a dark vocal sac and an ivory white belly. Has longitudinal ridges on the back.Their calls go on for long stretches at a time and are reminicent of a chant. The Common Tree Frog (above) Polypedates maculatus is the only tree frog found in Bangalore. Disks at the tips of digits are characteris- tic. They can land up behind picture frames, curtains & the like, on walls. Legs are long & they can jump well. Bangalore’s Bangalore’s Frogs at Risk! Frogs at Risk! This poster has all the 17 species of Amphibians recorded from Bangalore so far. It is an attempt to bring the frogs and toads one leap closer to our hearts! Frogs and toads have received much attention in our fables and in history. Their role in controlling insects, and their impor- tance in the food chain are well known. But still, with the increased pace of urbanization and the unprecedented growth of Bangalore, frogs and toads are losing the race. We just have not done enough for them. Draining of water-bodies and climate change in gen- eral are affecting their sur- vival. Vehicular traffic takes its toll in two ways. Firstly, they are often run over by vehicles, and secondly, increased traffic noise affects their breeding behaviour. Noise renders their calls inaudible. While it is impossible to curtail the growth of a city, a little ecological considera- tion, will go a long way in conserving these beautiful life forms. Frog friendly landscape design would surely help in their survival. Photo-credits: Duttaphrynus scaber , Euphlyctis cyanophlyctis, Fejervarya caperata, Hoplobatrachus tigerinus and Polypedates maculatus by Gururaja KV; Hoplobatrachus crassus by Anil Zacharia; Kaloula taprobanica by Aravind NA; and Uperodon globulosa by David Raju. All the rest by Seshadri KS. Bangalore’s Frogs at Risk! by Seshadri KS, Krishna MB and Sunil Kumar M (2012) . With thanks to Gururaja KV, Karthikeyan S, Ravi Menon and Arul Mani. With love from Joshua, Ruby and Prem Koshy.
Transcript of BANGALORE'S FROGS AT RISK! - Sanctuary Asias-Frogs-at-Risk.pdf · Bangalore’s Frogs at Risk! This...
Toads are frogs adapted to a life ondrier land. They have a rough skin,and hardly any webbing on theirfeet. Two species of toads(Duttaphrynus) are found inBangalore: Common Toad D.melanosticuts (above) andFerguson’s Toad D. scaber (below).
Bull Frogs (Hoplobatrachus) arelarge aquatic frogs once used fordissections in class. Males are verycombative during the breeding sea-son. Jerdon’s Bull Frog H. crassus(above) has a distinct and visibleear drum. The Indian Bull Frog H.tigerinus (below) male turns yellowin the breeding season and has acobalt blue vocal sac.
Burrowing frogs are known to wrig-gle backwards into soft squelchyearth, to hide completely and falltorpid. They have a small diggingapparatus on their hind limbs.Bangalore has the Indian BurrowingFrog Sphaerotheca breviceps(above) and Roland’s BurrowingFrog S. rolandae (below).
The frogs in this panel and the nexttwo, are unique in having a visiblynarrow mouth (gape), which is per-haps linked to their habit of pickingup prey from the ground, rather thangrab them from the air. The PaintedFrog Kaloula taprobanica (above)and Variegated Ramanella FrogRamanella variegata (below) havedilated toes, linked to a climbing
habit, and are often found in treeholes. The Ornate Narrow-mouthedFrog Microhyla ornata (above) andthe Red Narrow-mouthed Frog M.rubra (below) are extremely small,just about 2cm in length and arealso known to burrow into soil.
Balloon Frogs burrow into wet loosesoil and remain there through sum-mer. They are slow on the groundand have an indistinct ear drum.Indian Balloon Frog Uperodon glob-ulosus (above) and Marbled BalloonFrog U. systoma (below) have beenrecorded from Bangalore.
The only floating frogs, theCommon Skittering Frog Euphlyctiscyanophlyctis (above) and the Six-toed Frog E. hexadactylus (below)are aquatic. The Six-toed Frog hasa tubercle which appears as anadditional toe. The former has ahabit of skimming over the surfaceof the water and escaping whendisturbed.
The Bicoloured Frog Clinotarsuscurtipes (above), is an aquatic frogwhich is very rare in Bangalore. Hasa habit of sitting upright. Known tomass migrate to water for breeding;the froglets are known to move outenmass too.
The Wrinkled Frog Fejervaryacaperata (above) is a semi aquaticfrog with a dark vocal sac and anivory white belly. Has longitudinalridges on the back.Their calls go onfor long stretches at a time and arereminicent of a chant.
The Common Tree Frog (above)Polypedates maculatus is the onlytree frog found in Bangalore. Disksat the tips of digits are characteris-tic. They can land up behind pictureframes, curtains & the like, on walls.Legs are long & they can jump well.
B a n g a l o r e ’ sB a n g a l o r e ’ s
F r o g s a t R i s k !F r o g s a t R i s k !
This poster has all the 17species of Amphibiansrecorded from Bangaloreso far. It is an attempt tobring the frogs and toadsone leap closer to ourhearts!
Frogs and toads havereceived much attention inour fables and in history.Their role in controllinginsects, and their impor-tance in the food chain arewell known. But still, withthe increased pace ofurbanization and theunprecedented growth ofBangalore, frogs and toadsare losing the race. We justhave not done enough forthem.
Draining of water-bodiesand climate change in gen-eral are affecting their sur-vival. Vehicular traffic takesits toll in two ways. Firstly,they are often run over byvehicles, and secondly,increased traffic noiseaffects their breedingbehaviour. Noise renderstheir calls inaudible.
While it is impossible tocurtail the growth of a city,a little ecological considera-tion, will go a long way inconserving these beautifullife forms. Frog friendlylandscape design wouldsurely help in their survival.
Photo-credits: Duttaphrynus scaber , Euphlyctis cyanophlyctis, Fejervarya caperata, Hoplobatrachus tigerinus and Polypedates maculatus by Gururaja KV; Hoplobatrachus crassus by Anil Zacharia; Kaloula taprobanica by Aravind NA; and Uperodon globulosa by David Raju. All the rest by Seshadri KS.
Bangalore’s Frogs at Risk! by Seshadri KS, Krishna MB and Sunil Kumar M (2012) . With thanks to Gururaja KV, Karthikeyan S, Ravi Menon and Arul Mani. With love from Joshua, Ruby and Prem Koshy.
