Nyctibatrachus dattatreyaensis is a wrinkled night frog

Frog

Frogs are amphibians in the order Anura , formerly referred to as Salientia . Most frogs are characterized by a short body, webbed digits , protruding eyes and the absence of a tail...

 species

Species

In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...

 first described in the Shola

Shola

Sholas are patches of stunted evergreen tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forest found in valleys amid rolling grassland in the higher montane regions of South India. These patches of shola forest are found mainly in the valleys and are usually separated from one another by undulating...

 forests around the Dattatreya Peeta in the Chikkamagaluru district of Karnataka

Karnataka

Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...

. The habitat is upstream of the Manikyadhara falls of the Chandra Drona Parvatha hill ranges of the Western Ghats

Western Ghats

The Western Ghats, Western Ghauts or the Sahyādri is a mountain range along the western side of India. It runs north to south along the western edge of the Deccan Plateau, and separates the plateau from a narrow coastal plain along the Arabian Sea. The Western Ghats block rainfall to the Deccan...

, India

India

India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

.

Description

The species has the head wider than long; skin on the dorsum highly wrinkled with transverse corrugated folds; three discontinuous longitudinal folds, one dorsolaterally and two laterally; webbing on toes medium (3/4); two yellowish bands on the dorsolateral area, prominent from sub-adult to adult stage; femoral glands present. Nyctibatrachus dattatreyaensis is a medium-sized (about 40 mm) frog active during night. The thumb pad and femoral glands are prominent in mature males. Eyes are golden yellow with black rhomboidal pupils. The upper surface of the body is reddish black to stone black with two yellow lateral bands. In day time, the frog prefers to hide below small boulders and damp leaf litter along the slow-flowing streams of the Shola forests in the hill ranges. The genus Nyctibatrachus

Nyctibatrachus

Nyctibatrachus is a genus of true frogs endemic to India. It is a very ancient member of the true frog family, Ranidae.Their scientific name means "night frog", in reference to their habits and dark color.-Species:...

is endemic to the Western Ghats. Nyctibatrachus dattatreyaensis is one among the 16 known nominal species

Species

In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...

.

Discovery

The frog was discovered in 2008 by scientists from Zoological Survey of India

Zoological Survey of India

The Zoological Survey of India is a premier Indian organisation in zoological research and studies. It was established on 1 July 1916 to promote the survey, exploration and research of the fauna in the region...

. It was named Nyctibatrachus dattatreyaensis, after the Dattatreya shrine in its habitat.

Risk

Environmentalists say the Chandra Drona Parvatha hill ranges are noted for medicinal herbs. Unauthorised collection of herbs is rampant there. The area is under immense human pressure from ecotourism. The water source of the Manikyadhara falls is endangered.