Jerdon’s narrow-mouthed frog

March 7, 2023

In a report published recently, in 2022, a group of zoologists photographed 40 tadpoles of Jerdon’s narrow-mouthed frog (Uperodon montanus) species in the biodiverse Western Ghats.
It was a common sight earlier but since it was last studied in 1934, the species faded away permanently.
- Thus the frog species has been rediscovered after 89 years.
Features- longish snout and shiny brown skin with darker brown, red and golden spots on the back and head.
Habitat-found in rock pools or tree holes filled with rainwater.
Its tadpoles are free-swimming and exotrophic (they feed on other species).
Change in the tadpole body colouration was observed during the day (comparatively darker) and night (slightly transparent).
This frog is considered a montane species and is restricted to higher altitude ranges.
They are distributed from near Wayanad south across the Palghat and the Shencottah gaps to the Agasthyamalai hills.
Classified as ‘Near Threatened’ in the International Union for Conservation (IUCN) of Nature Red List of Threatened Species.