Uperodon montanus : Narrow-Mouthed Frog

News: A group of zoologists has rediscovered the endemic to the higher elevations of the Western Ghats frog Uperodon montanus.

 

  • Other names for Uperodon montanus include Malabar Hill frog and Jerdon’s narrow-mouthed frog.
  • It is unique to India’s Western Ghats.
  • The damp deciduous woodland to evergreen forest is the typical habitat where this frog is found in tree holes during the rainy season.
  • This frog is limited to higher altitude ranges of 800-1,700 metres and is regarded as a montane species.
  • From close to Wayanad, they are dispersed southward over the Palghat and Shencottah gaps to the Agasthyamalai hills.
  • Tadpoles of this species are exotropic, or species-feeding, and free-swimming.
  • IUCN’s status of conservation is Near Endangered.