Malabar gliding frog

Malabar gliding frog
Name	Malabar gliding frog
Status	VU
Status system	IUCN3.1
Genus	Rhacophorus
Species	malabaricus
Authority	(Jerdon, 1870)

Malabar gliding frog is a large arboreal tree frog endemic to the Western Ghats of southern India, recognized for its expansive interdigital webbing enabling controlled glides between canopy trees. Its ecology intersects with conservation initiatives in India, biodiversity assessments by institutions such as the IUCN and research programs at universities like the University of Bangalore and the Indian Institute of Science, while its natural history has been cited in field guides used in surveys by the Bombay Natural History Society and regional forest departments.

Taxonomy and naming

Described by Thomas C. Jerdon in the 19th century, the species sits within the genus Rhacophorus and the family Rhacophoridae. Historical taxonomic work referenced collections from the Madras Presidency and correspondence with naturalists associated with the British Museum (Natural History), while modern revisions have involved researchers at institutions such as the Natural History Museum, London and the Zoological Survey of India. Vernacular names used across Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu have appeared in notes by the Bombay Natural History Society and in monographs distributed by the Indian Academy of Sciences.

Description

Adults are characterized by a snout–vent length up to about 90–100 mm, an elongated head, expanded toe discs, and extensive webbing between digits producing a patagium that facilitates gliding. Coloration ranges from green dorsum to a white or cream ventrum with lateral marbling; sexual dimorphism is evident with females typically larger than males, a point noted in comparative anatomy studies published by faculties at the University of Cambridge and the Smithsonian Institution. Morphological descriptions have been incorporated into regional field guides used by conservationists from the Wildlife Institute of India and the World Wildlife Fund.

Distribution and habitat

The species is endemic to the Western Ghats mountain chain, with populations reported in the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu. It occupies tropical moist evergreen and semi-evergreen canopies in protected areas such as Silent Valley National Park, Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve, and Anamalai Tiger Reserve, and has been recorded near riparian corridors influenced by the Monsoon of India. Habitat use spans primary forest, secondary growth, and occasionally shaded agricultural matrices adjacent to reserve boundaries overseen by state forest departments.

Behavior and ecology

Primarily nocturnal and arboreal, individuals glide from high perches to escape predators or reach breeding sites, a behavior paralleled in phylogenetically related taxa studied at the Max Planck Institute for Ornithology and comparative locomotion labs at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Diet consists mainly of large arthropods including orthopterans and coleopterans, consistent with prey surveys conducted by ecologists affiliated with the Indian Council of Agricultural Research and the Centre for Ecological Sciences. Predators and ecological interactions include avian raptors recorded by observers from the Kerala Forest Department and parasitic associations documented in parasitology reports from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences.

Reproduction and life cycle

Breeding is explosive and tied to the southwest monsoon, with males calling from canopy perches to attract females; foam nests are constructed over water bodies or treeholes, a reproductive strategy compared in reviews from the Royal Society and monographs from the American Museum of Natural History. Eggs develop in foam nests that later release tadpoles into temporary pools or slow-moving streams within protected catchments such as those managed by the National Biodiversity Authority. Larval development, metamorphosis timing, and juvenile dispersal have been subjects of field studies by researchers at the Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical Botanic Garden and Research Institute and graduate theses at the University of Mysore.

Conservation status and threats

Listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN Red List, threats include habitat loss from deforestation linked to plantations and infrastructure projects reviewed by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (India), fragmentation from road networks prioritized by state public works departments, and local exploitation. Conservation measures have been promoted through community engagement by organizations like the Nature Conservation Foundation and policy instruments administered by the National Green Tribunal (India), while long-term monitoring involves collaborations between the Bombay Natural History Society, universities such as the University of Madras, and international conservation NGOs including the Conservation International and the World Wide Fund for Nature. Ex situ efforts and captive breeding protocols have been discussed in workshops convened by the Zoological Society of London and regional zoos regulated by the Central Zoo Authority of India.

Category:Rhacophorus Category:Amphibians of India Category:Endemic fauna of the Western Ghats