Purple Frog

The Purple Frog (Nasikabatrachus sahyadrensis) is a unique underground-dwelling frog found only in the Western Ghats of India, considered a living fossil. It belongs to the family Sooglossidae and the order Anura (frogs and toads).

Description

The Purple Frog is an amphibian. Like all frogs and toads, it is a cold-blooded animal. It breathes air and can also breathe through its skin when in water. Adults have no tail.

Where it lives

This species is found in South Asia. It lives in natural habitats such as forests, wetlands, and grasslands. The exact places where it lives depend on local conditions like rainfall, temperature, and the type of plants growing there.

Behaviour

Like most frogs, the Purple Frog is active at certain times of day or night. It eats small animals such as insects, worms, and other invertebrates. It reproduces by laying eggs in or near water, and its young go through a tadpole stage before becoming adult frogs.

Conservation

Like many amphibians in the Western Ghats, this species may be threatened by habitat loss and climate change. Scientists and governments work to protect amphibians because they are important indicators of ecosystem health.

Classification

• Kingdom: Animalia
• Phylum: Chordata
• Class: Amphibia
• Order: Anura
• Family: Sooglossidae
• Genus: Nasikabatrachus
• Species: Nasikabatrachus sahyadrensis
• Authority: Biju and Bossuyt, 2003

Other websites

• AmphibiaWeb
• IUCN Red List