NEW DELHI: In a groundbreaking study, biologists have uncovered a remarkable and worrying shift in the breeding behaviour of the Andamanese Charles Darwin’s frog (Minervarya charlesdarwini), a species endemic to the Andaman Islands.
Led by professor S D Biju of the University of Delhi and Harvard University, the research team documented a unique upside-down spawning behaviour in these frogs, alongside an alarming trend of using human trash as breeding sites.These findings, published in the Harvard Museum of Comparative Zoology’s journal Breviora, have significant implications with regard to the conservation of this already-threatened species that is listed as ‘vulnerable’ in IUCN Red List.
The study involved a team of scientists from University of Delhi, Zoological Survey of India, Harvard University and University of Minnesota. It revealed that these frogs are increasingly using artificial objects as breeding sites, such as plastic sapling bags, and human trash comprising discarded plastic, glass, and metal containers. This shift is likely to be a response to the loss and fragmentation of forest habitats, forcing the frogs to adapt to the rapidly changing environment on these small islands.
However, breeding in these unnatural sites poses significant risks to the frogs’ survival and development.
Researchers observed a rare event of frog cannibalism on Kooragang Island, Australia. A female green and golden bell frog was found attempting to consume a male frog. Despite the male’s struggle, it managed to escape. This was the first recorded instance of adult-on-adult cannibalism in frogs, prompting further study into the phenomenon and its impact on frog populations.