Pedostibes tuberculosus, commonly known as Malabar Tree Toad is an endemic toad reported very sparsely across the Western Ghats. The discovery of this toad dates back to 1876 by Dr.
Mandookavani (Sanskrit: Mandooka - Frog, Vani - Speech) is an acoustic guide to the frogs and toads of the Western Ghats. Frogs and toads (together called anurans) have evolved to communicate vocally. Anurans produced sound by vibrating vocal chords as air is pushed over them through lungs. The sound thus produced gets amplified in a balloon like vocal sac. Each species has a unique calling pattern and hence can be used as an identification key in the field.
Amphibian population decline across the globe at an alarming rate has enthused researchers to probe for the cause. Habitat alteration including fragmentation, degradation, modification and rapid urbanization are considered to be key factors in such declines. In addition, fungal diseases, use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers are also negatively influencing the amphibian population. It is still not clear how these causalities work, individually, collectively or synergistically?
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