Report from Ares - Pics: Nirmal Kulkarni
for Daijiworld Media Network - Panaji (GA)

Panaji, Jun 9: With the onset of monsoons, Western Ghats' flagship wild species – Malabar Gliding Frog – is back in its habitat and will remain cited till the showers continue before hibernating in the thick tree canopy.

The environmentalists who are excited about citing of this rare species feel that these species are losing their local habitats owing to monoculture plantations and mass alterations in habitats owing to burning and shifting cultivation, large scale forest clearing and developmental projects.

In the entire world, these species are found only in south west Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka till southern Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

“The good sightings of this flagship species occur in forests of Amboli, Mollem and Mahdei regions bordering Goa-Karnataka,” environmentalist Nirmal Kulkarni stated.

The appearance of these creatures is near to mystery while their behaviour is unique-as unique as their lifestyle.

Says Kulkarni,"There are reports that this species hibernate in the high tree canopy after the monsoons end as they are seen at eye-level only during the monsoons when they are induced to mate in the tree canopy.’’

Interestingly, these are the only frogs which build their nests on the tree.

Environmentalists divulge that the males create foam nests with the help of females who spawn in the nest and build the foam nest by holding leaves together on the tree.

“The leaves stay glued together due to the foam nest and are built over temporary or permanent water bodies in which the tadpoles later fall after 4-5 days and emerging tadpoles are bottom feeders for sometime,” Kulkarni stated.

“The foam nest contains approx 160-200 eggs,” he added.

The Western Ghat which is international bio-diversity hotspot has welcomed these species only during the rains.

The call of this species is very distinct and may be described as a loud series of tak-tak-tak and is amongst the first calls heard in the forests during the onset of the monsoons, environmentalists stated.

But the human influence on these ghats has also disturbed these unique species which are found 600 to 1000 metres above the sea level.

“These frogs inhabit evergreen and semi-evergreen forests that are now been destroyed in the name of development. This species is known as the flagship species amongst amphibian species of the Western Ghats by conservationists and amphibian specialists,” Kulkarni stated.