KOCHI: In a significant discovery, a researcher has documented the presence of Kallar dancing frog or torrent frog, (Micrixalus herrei) in the Ranni forest division. Frogs belonging to this genus are known for their unique foot-flagging behaviour, which has given them the common name, dancing frogs. The tadpoles of these frogs live under the gravel beds of streams, making them elusive.
The discovery was made by BCM College assistant professor Priya Thomas, who is pursuing the research under the guidance of Gigi K Joseph of Muvattupuzha Nirmala College and herpetologist Sujith V Gopalan of Kerala University.
The work has been published in the international open-access journal named ‘Reptiles and Amphibians’. The Kallar dancing frog was first documented in Kallar of Thiruvananthapuram district. The species is known to occur in the states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu, with its range reportedly limited to the south of the Shencottah Gap.
The Shencottah Gap acts as a biogeographic barrier and plays a substantial role in the region’s speciation.The new record of the species in the Ranni forest division expands the known range of this species further to the north of the Shencottah Gap, emphasising the rich and varied biodiversity within Kerala’s forest ecosystems.
The dancing frogs were first observed at the Naranamthodu, Kanamala and Erumely areas on June 15, 2023, during one of the field studies conducted by Priya.