now think again ...
nasikabatrachus sahyadrensis is a frog species ! from the western ghats, india. it was discovered in 2003 and forms its own family ! common names for this species are purple frog or pignose frog. the scientific name derived from the word nasika - nose in sanskrit, batrachus - frog in greek, and sahyadri as the local name of the mountain range where it was found. the frog spends most of the year underground, surfacing only for about two weeks, during the monsoon, for purposes of mating. dont know what it eats ? the frog's reclusive lifestyle is what caused the species to escape earlier notice by biologists. the species was discovered by franky bossuyt and s.d. biju. however it was well known to the local people before.
the frog forms a living fossil as the only surviving species of the nasikabatrachidae family. according to genetic analysis it is distantly related to the family sooglossidae, which is found on the seychelles islands. the two families split about 100 million years ago, which fits with the geologic history of india. at that time india, the seychelles and madagascar formed a single landmass which split due to the continental drift. this species is a living proof to the theory of drift !
posted by wildpic at 4:26 PM
17 Comments:
Wow ! How did you manage to get this pic ? looks pre-historic.... it also reinforces the inner need for conservation in our own little ways...great shot suresh !
You always have the most interesting photos. Thanks for sharing!! I enjoy it.
thanks jrg, sure the design looks alien. everytime i come across something like this am humbled by the grand spectrum. i got this pic when i went for my usual walk with an unusual amphibian research student, and we were there in the right season n time to hear its call. what a moment it was !
thanks jill, it feels wonderfull to share, its my pleasure too. nature is unusually strange, we are a part of it too ! its there to appreciate n enjoy.
enjoy !
Wondering how many species we still do not know on land or under the sea. Amazing picture.
sciene has just touched the face of creation rauf, we still go by basic rules by which we sort species. if A looks different from B by its colour, shape n size n habitat than B is a different species, with the same formula each of us humans are a different species !! but the formula applies the other way around too ... it might be similar but not really ! .
It sure is a wild pic. Where did ya manage to find this frog?
does it walk/hop awkwardly with those flippered legs? was it scared by your presence? can it see in daylight? too many questions?
thanks for crediting the locals with the discovery before 'learned-ones' came along!
yea Chinna
same goes with archealogy too
hey ayse ... am so glad the post does that to you, wonderfull to hear that. nature is such that its constantly baffling our understanding and imagination. to be human comes in many layers !theres so much of magic around but its only for people who beleive in it. just like many things i guess.
you are welcome ayse to the strange world of natural reality ...
hey gaya .... what a wonderfull surprise ... welcome to my world lately !
found this macho guy in a shola during my usual walks, this time with a research student n my research assistant who is extremely sharp.
so u out of china to blog ?
yes chinna ... it walks awkwardly, i doubt it can really hopp. those flippered legs are meant for digging n burrowing, in its legs u can also see the white hard special aids for that.
it must be scared seeing huge aliens like us after millions of years ! it can see reasonably i think, hardly close to any other frog species, am saying this because of its eye size.
oh yes the discovery is the same as the stereo fellow in richie street for a tribal !!
rauf knew him all along .... not me !
yes rauf ... thats true ... i know of some archealogical sites in the jungle that nobody else with a degree has seen, will post one.
Ahhh wow, that thing is awsome... haha i love it.
cool isnt it david ! i love it too.
Discovered in 2003? Incredible. It's humbling to think about all that we do not know and understand. And yet, as ignorant as we are, we stumble around this planet wreaking havoc upon things we know nothing about.
Makes you wonder how many species met their demise due to our actions and we never even knew of them.
Thanks for sharing this. It makes me happy and sad all at the same time.
yes bc, it is quiet sad to think that
1. we have missed the joy of having seen, studied the unknown because of our ignorance to sync with nature for greater benefit.
2. we are still continuing to do it across the globe.
conservation is not some fancy pass time but a meaningfull approach for our own benifit in the longer run. there is so much to learn n improvise from things that evolved millions of years ahead of us.
the happy thing is that there some wonderfull untouched areas still left on earth, hope we just leave them to be, for our own good as a species.
welcome kalyan varma, thank you for your comment.
good to see your pictures too, fantatic going !
have posted the info on ya blog. for more info, anythin related, pls do get in touch.
see you around. cheers !
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