New species of frog found in Karnataka

    
KOZHIKODE: A new species of wrinkled frog found active during night has been recently traced in the hilly ranges of Chikmagalur in Western Ghats, Zoological Survey of India sources here said.
    
'Nyctibatrachus dattatreyaensis' is a 40-mm-sized frog which differs from the other species in having high degree of small corrugations on the body with prominent discontinuous lateral folds, the sources said.
    
The new found species have golden yellow eyes with black rhomboidal pupil and the upper surface of its body is reddish black to stone black with two yellow lateral bands, they said.
    
"The dorsal colour of the species camouflages with the ferruginous substratum of its habitat which is essential for its survival from predators," the sources added.
    
The finding has been published in the October edition of 'Zootaxa' journal of New Zealand.
    
The discovery assumes significance as it has come in the 'Year of the Frog' as declared by the Amphibian Ark - a joint effort of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA).
    
As per the current studies, the species is limited to the hilly ranges surrounding the Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary in India and is not found anywhere else in the world.
    
The genus 'Nyctibatrachus' is endemic to Western Ghats and the species, named after Lord Dattatreya worshipped in Chikmagalur, is one among the 16 nominal species known in the world.