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Top left:Raorchestes theuerkaufi. Photo: Anil Zachariah. Top right: Raorchestes manohari. Bottom left: Raochestes crustai
(male). Bottom right: Raochestes crustai (female). Photo: Sandeep Das.
A person who was not part of the team, but contributed to the
discovery of one of the novelties in this study, is Ravi Chandran, a
shopkeeper from Wayanad who has accompanied Dr. Zachariah
on his field visits in the past. To honour his contribution, the
species he discovered was named Raorchestes ravii. The modest
backgrounds of many members of the team and the absence
of external funding, justifies that even non-professionals,
with genuine dedication and commitment can make relevant
contributions to the pursuit of knowledge. After all, the pioneer
naturalists of India, whose documentations we follow today, were
not established scientists when they started out, but amateurs who
took up the task by sheer passion.
The team documented the new species, all belonging to the
family Rhacophoridae, over a wide geographical expanse of the
southern Western Ghats, from the Upper Nilgiris south to the
Agasthyamalai Hills. Their encounters with the novelties were
made not only in sanctuaries or parks, but also in forest fragments
in monoculture plantations outside of protected areas.
Another interesting frog among the
novelties is Polypedates bijui, which
remains inconspicuous for most
of the year, but emerges only once
during the breeding season. Where is
it that this species disappears to, and
how it survives during the remainder
of the year is a mystery.
Raorchestes crustai, whose call is
similar to that of the canopy frog R.
nerostagona 5 in producing a sound
comparable to a waterdrop falling
into a pool of water, is also a frog
of the canopies. However, unlike
the latter, it is sexually dimorphic,
where males exhibit a mixed pattern
of dark cream and brown hues,
akin to a tree’s bark, whereas the
females sport a bright green colour
mixed with dark grey. This could be
perhaps because of the males using
tree trunks as primary habitat, while
the female spends most of their time
on mossy and lichen patches on tree
branches. The other species encountered in this discovery are
Raorchestes thodai, R. kadalarensis, R. johnceei, R. uthamani, R.
agasthyaensis and R. theuerkaufi.
Dr. Zachariah’s penchant for frogs goes beyond documentation.
His interests include understanding their behavior, reproductive
strategies and distribution patterns. In fact, he has made many
fascinating observations on this diverse group over the past 17
years. His silent efforts and contribution to batrachology was
acknowledged in 2006, when an endemic bushfrog was named
after him 6 .
But, Dr. Zachariah’s observations have also brought out a
precarious picture for some of these sensitive and delicate
creatures. He has noted, for example, that the irregularities
in monsoon rainfall in recent years and the shift in flowering
patterns of tree species on which the reproduction of some species
of frogs and toads is dependent, has negatively impacted their
populations (Zachraiah 2010, pers. observ.).
One of the most beautiful frogs unearthed in this study is
Raorchestes manohari, the species name being suggestive of
its attractive nature; ‘manohari’ being the Malayalam word for
‘pretty’. This novelty was spotted accidentally when the team
had just made another remarkable find, that of Raorchestes
chalazodes, way back in 2008. Both species are specialized forms
inhabiting reed brakes (Ochlandra spp.), making the reed their
home. When Albert Günter had made the original description of
R. chalazodes in 1876, he made no account of the habitat, since it
was Lt. Col. R. H. Beddome who provided him with a preserved
specimen 4 . This lack of detail in the original literature and the
threat of elephants that have an inherent preference for reed
brake habitats, prevented subsequent generations of researchers
from exploring them systematically, delaying the rediscovery of
the species for more than 130 years since it’s initial collection.
Polypedates bijui. Photo: Sandeep Das
20 | FrogLog Vol. 98 | September 2011