ALAPPUZHA: Two species of frogs found in Kerala are endangered, a study has found. The Green-eyed Bush Frog and the Resplendent Shrub Frog, found in the Western Ghats and in Munnar, have been listed as ‘critically endangered’ species in the paper published in the November issue of the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) magazine.The study conduct by a research team led by Delhi University Associate Professor S D Biju found that the frog numbers were declining. The bush frog, whose scientific name is Raorchestes Chlorosomma, is found in the hilly areas of Munnar. “The shrub frog is found only in certain parts of Anamudi. Its scientific name is Raorchestes Resplendens. The population of the shrub frog is below 300,” Biju said. In 2009, a fish variety from Kerala found mention in the IUCN red-list. Redline Torpedo Barb (Puntius Denisnii-colloquially named Miss Kerala), an ornamental fish found in the Western Ghats and in certain parts of South India, was also termed critically endangered. Prof Biju and his team has been studying amphibians in the Western Ghats, where bio-diversity is rich. His team has discovered more than 100 species of amphibians. Large scale plantations are the reason for the decline of species in the Ghats. The ecology is degraded owing to the use of pesticides and other chemicals in tea and eucalyptus plantations.The study found the bush frog adaptable. However, its tolerance threshold to habitat disturbances needed more study, Biju said.The habitat of the species is the shoals forest and the extent of occurrence is only 100 km square. The plantations and the tourism industry are a threat to the species, Biju said. The shrub frog was found in 3 sqkm of the Eravikulam National Park in Munnar.
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