Scientists rediscover shrub frog in E Ghats

HYDERABAD: Scientists rediscovered the polymorphic (different types of the same species) Sri Lankan brown-eared shrub frog in the Eastern Ghats of Andhra Pradesh. The finding, published in the international journal "Zootaxa", reveals the presence of Sri Lankan "Pseudophilautus regius", commonly known as the brown-eared shrub frog, far from its known range.
Bharath Bhupathi, lead author, said: "Amphibian diversity in the Eastern Ghats is a treasure trove for the scientific community, providing insights into the historical connection between Sri Lanka and India."
The significant rediscovery by researchers from Zoological Survey of India (ZSI), Hyderabad, in collaboration with the Andhra Pradesh Biodiversity Board, raises two major scientific issues: One, lack of documentation and understanding of amphibian diversity in the Eastern Ghats and, two, the evolutionary history of the land bridge connection between India and Sri Lanka during the Pleistocene period.
Coincidentally, ZSI announced a new regional centre at Amaravati, the capital of Andhra Pradesh.
The brown-eared shrub frog, initially described in 2005, is a common species in Sri Lankan forests. After two decades, the species has now been identified in the Eastern Ghats, nearly 700km from its known range.
Earlier, three related species were reported from the Western Ghats, but this is the first report of a brown-eared shrub frog from the Eastern Ghats in over 220 years of amphibian research in India.
The rediscovery of the species, confirmed genetically and showing morphological colour variations, suggests a complex biogeographical history.