Malabar Tree toad

Feb. 27, 2023

Malabar tree toad found in Mollem National Park which is threatened by three infrastructure project finds mentioned in the updated ‘Checklist of Indian Amphibians (2023)’ released by the Zoological Survey of India.

About Malabar tree toad:

The Malabar tree toad is a small species found in the forest along the Western Ghats in wet tree hollows or leaf bases containing water.
This toad species is found mainly during the monsoon season and then it disappears.
It is believed to be the only toad to dwell on high canopies.
Its population is shrinking mainly due to habitat loss, climate change and Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, a deadly fungus that has been decimating entire amphibian populations worldwide.
Conservation status
- IUCN: Endangered

Key facts about the Mollem National Park

It is located in Sanguem taluk in Goa close to the border with Karnataka.
This park also has several temples dating back to the Kadamba Dynasty.
The park was earlier known as Mollem game sanctuary.
It was declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1969 and renamed Bhagwan Mahaveer Sanctuary.
Since then, the national park is called Bhagwan Mahaveer Sanctuary and Mollem National Park.
Fauna: King Cobra, Hump-nosed pit viper, Indian rock python and Malabar pit viper are found in the park.

Source : Tree toad from biodiversity hotspot Mollem on nat’l list