Researchers have named a type of burrowing frog Sphaerotheca Bengaluru to highlight the gap in the documentation of amphibians from non-forested areas and the need to restore frog habitats in Bengaluru.
The discovery of the new species in an unexpected location not only indicates that the city is home to other uncatalogued species, but has also come as a warning on the pollution of water bodies.
The frog was found outside normal habitats, in a barren tract of land near Rajankunte where there is no permanent source of water. “This genus of frog is generally located around freshwater areas or in forested landscapes. Water is vital to the completion of their life cycle,” said Dr K. P. Dinesh of the Zoological Survey of India. The presence of the new frog, which has not been found in or around any of the city’s water bodies, suggests that they could have become uninhabitable for the new species. “They are the first to be affected by water pollution and their behaviour tells us about the quality of an ecosystem,” Dr Dinesh added.
Picture Credit : Google