Seven new Night Frogs were discovered in the Western Ghats of India. The frogs belong to the genus Nyctibatrachus, which is referred to as the Night Frog genus because they are mostly nocturnal and their black color. Nyctibatrachus are mainly stream dwelling frogs but some of these species were found under leaf litter. Four of the frogs discovered are some of the smallest frogs in the world and can sit on a coin or thumbnail. They are between half an inch to .6 inch long. These mini frogs also have insect like calls which made them harder to find.
The newly discovered species are the the Athirappilly night frog (Nyctibatrachus athirappillyensis), the Kadalar night frog (Nyctibatrachus webilla), the Manalar night frog (Nyctibatrachus manalari), Robin Moore’s night frog (Nyctibatrachus robinmoorei), the Sabarimala night frog (Nyctibatrachus sabarimalai), the Vijayan’s night frog (Nyctibatrachus pulivijayani), and the Radcliffe’s night frog (Nyctibatrachus radcliffei).
Sadly, the newly discovered frogs are all endangered of becoming extinct. The frogs have only been found in single locations. With the destruction of habitat in the area to make room for people, these frogs might soon be gone.
