Awareness on frogs - work shop held.

Awareness on frogs - work shop held.

Mangalore Today News Network

Karkala, Aug 20, 2015: Karkala hosted a two-day unique workshop - "Frog Watch" at the week end Aug 15-16. With the aim create awareness on endangered creatures, and to create interest in public regarding frogs. The workshop was to educate on the need to conserve these useful, beautiful and highly sensitive amphibians that are ecosystem checks.   Sessions on identification of various common species, ecology and behaviour of the frogs made up of the workshop.

It is to be noted that Western Ghats are home to over 130 species of frogs and toads. Several of them are on the verge of extinction. Decline in their natural habitats is posing a great threat to them at a global scale.   A field visit was carried out at Durga reserve forest in search of various species of the frogs. A total of 16 participants were taught where to look for the frogs and how to track them by following their sounds/calls etc.

Shivashankar, Ramit Singal and Nature enthusiast and frog researchers at Mangalore University, Vineeth Kumar were the resource persons.

At least 15 species of frogs were recorded from the Durga reserve forest, which included some of the common species like Indian bullfrog, Common Indian toad, Wrinkled Cricket frog, Reddish burrowing frog, Wayanad bush frog, Western tree frog, Mudigere skittering frog, Ornate narrow-mouthed frog and Rao’s intermediate Golden frog along with uncommon Endemic species like Aloysius Pond frog, Kempholey Night frog, Variable bush frog and Small handed frog. Endangered Sahyadri minervarya frog was in good numbers. Malabar Gliding frog was one of the most attractive frogs. The green-coloured frogs are found calling high above from trees. There were ideal habitats for the Dancing frogs, which are normally found along the perennial streams of the Western Ghats; since these frogs are day-active (diurnal) the time of visit to these streams was not ideal to spot them. An interesting spotting during this workshop was Knob handed bush frog, which inhabit areas at elevations of 500 meters above sea level.  The opportunity was used by more than few interested people.