Purple frog

Nasikabatrachus sahyadrensis is a frog species belonging to the family Sooglossidae. It can be found in the Western Ghats in India. Adults are typically dark purplish-grey in color.

About Purple frog in brief

Summary Purple frogNasikabatrachus sahyadrensis is a frog species belonging to the family Sooglossidae. It can be found in the Western Ghats in India. Adults are typically dark purplish-grey in color. Males are about a third of the length of females. Males emerge to call beside temporary rainwater streams. They mount females and grip them along the vertebral column. The frogs may switch to headfirst borrowing due to their wedge shaped skull and other shaped limbs. In 2015, tadpoles of the species were discovered to be traditionally consumed by tribal communities.

Usually, about 2–5 individuals would participate in each harvesting event. The major threat to these amphibians in India is caused by the alteration of natural habitats by an ever-increasing human population, resulting in large areas being converted for settlement and agricultural use. Recent studies have shown frog utilization for research purposes to be one of the major threats.