Researchers from the Zoological Survey of India, in partnership with the Andhra Pradesh Biodiversity Board, rediscovered the Sri Lankan golden-backed frog (Hylarana gracilis) after two centuries in the Koundinya wildlife sanctuary in the Chittoor district, the southernmost point of the Eastern Ghats in Andhra Pradesh. With this finding, the number of freshwater frog species in India rises to 20.

Bharath Bhupathi from the Zoological Survey of India, Hyderabad, encountered frogs of this species near a pond in the forest and suspected that it could be a new species. However, after consulting taxonomic experts and utilising morphological and DNA barcoding tools, the species was confirmed to be the Sri Lankan golden-backed frog Hylarana gracilis. 

Mr. Bhupathi emphasizes that rediscovery is more significant than the discovery of a new species, as it provides evidence for the historic land bridge between India and Sri Lanka.

Amphibians are recognised as ecological indicators of healthy ecosystems, and the Eastern Ghats are home to 27 species of amphibians, considerably fewer than the Western Ghats.

The study is the result of the collaborative efforts of multiple scientists, including Deepa Jaiswal, S.S. Jadhav, and Karuthapandi. M. from ZSI, Hyderabad, and K.P. Dinesh from ZSI, Pune, in collaboration with the researcher, Kalyani Kunte of Andhra Pradesh Biodiversity Board.

District Forest Officer (Chittoor) C. Chaitanya Kumar Reddy said that the finding of the exotic species in the Palamaner range of Chittoor is a welcome sign for the region, and “all steps would be taken to protect the species.”

In the present scenario, the Sri Lankan golden-backed frog populations in India and Sri Lanka are approximately 800 km apart. Additionally, there is a shallow genetic divergence of 0.2% to 1% genetic distance between these populations, supporting the evidence of changes in sea level in the late Pleistocene period or the Ice Age, resulting in land connections between India and Sri Lanka.

Source: The Hindu
--Agencies