CCMB scientists lead conservation efforts for Bhupathy’s Purple Frog

HYDERABAD: Researchers from the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Hyderabad, are spearheading efforts to conserve one of the rarest amphibians of the Western Ghats  Bhupathy’s Purple Frog (Nasikbatrachus bhupathi), which traces its origins to 80 million years ago, around the breakup of the supercontinent Gondwana.

Often called the “Jewel of Gondwana,” this burrowing species lives underground and surfaces only during the first heavy monsoon showers to breed  a pattern unchanged since the age of dinosaurs.

Rare species discovered in 2017

The species was identified in 2017 by a CCMB team led by Dr S Jegath Janani, Dr Ramesh K Aggarwal and senior herpetologist Dr Kartikeyan Vasudevan. Their work involved genetic barcoding and acoustic analysis, which confirmed its distinction from its relative, the Indian Purple Frog. Scientists identified its unique four-pulse mating call as a key differentiator.

The frog is listed as “Critically Endangered” due to its narrow endemic range, which is increasingly threatened by pollution, water extraction and habitat loss.

Tracking through sound

Because the frog is fossorial and rarely seen above ground, researchers are using bioacoustics — deploying specialised equipment to record the mating calls of males from beneath the soil. The acoustic data collected from rocky streams in the Western Ghats is processed in Hyderabad laboratories to estimate populations and plan conservation strategies.

Local training for long-term survival

Dr Vasudevan’s team is also training local forest staff and wildlife officials in the Western Ghats to identify breeding habitats, typically fast-flowing rocky streams, and to use acoustic methods for monitoring.

“Our approach combines field science with community training, ensuring that the conservation of this ancient lineage can be locally sustained,” Dr Vasudevan said.