Micrixalus kottigeharensis

Micrixalus kottigeharensis

Subject :Environment

Section: Species in news

Context: Malformations such as a missing eye or deformed limb have been noted in the Kottigehar dancing frog, possibly due to anthropogenic stressors.

Kottigehar dancing frog (Micrixalus kottigeharensis)

• Micrixalus kottigeharensis is a species of frog found in the Western Ghats of India. It belongs to the genus Micrixalus in the family Micrixalidae.
• The species was first discovered in 2012 in Kottigehara, a small town in the Western Ghats of Karnataka. It is known to inhabit rocky streams in the vicinity of evergreen forests.
• Micrixalidae is one of the oldest families of frogs in the Western Ghats, and is known to have evolved more than 60 million years ago and diversified five million years ago.
• The genus, Micrixalus, commonly known as “dancing frogs”, represents an ancient lineage and certain studies have indicated that the lineage has no close living relatives.
• Micrixalus kottigeharensis is a small frog, with adult males measuring about 20-25 mm in length, and females being slightly larger at 30-32 mm.
• The frog has a unique call, which sounds like the chattering of a bird, and is used to attract mates during the breeding season.
• Micrixalus kottigeharensis is threatened by invasive species like the mosquito fish, land use change, variation in temperature and humidity, extreme weather events such as floods and excess rainfall, infectious diseases, water pollution, light pollution, and infrastructure projects such as dams.
• Conservation status
  • It is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List.
  • The species is not listed under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) Appendix.
  • In India, the species is not protected by the Wild Life Protection Act, 1972, as there isn’t adequate information about its distribution and numbers.