Researchers discovered an incredibly unusual frog in the mountains of India in 2017.
The amphibian, which boasts shiny purple skin, a pointy “pig-nose,” and a blue ring around its eyes, was found in the Western Ghat Mountains.
The new species has been named Bhupathy’s purple frog (Nasikabatrachus bhupathi) in honor of Dr. Sabrumaniam Bhupathy, a herpetologist who died in an accident during a 2014 expedition.
Hear N. sahyadrensis‘ mating call in the video above.
Western Ghats. Wikimedia Commons/Magentic Manifestations
Bhupathy’s frogs live their lives almost entirely underground, surviving on ants and termites. The only thing that will bring these creatures to the surface is the yearly monsoon rains — the signal that its time to mate.
After the male calls to the females, the two mate in streams and subsequently leave behind fertilized eggs. Once the eggs hatch, tadpoles use a suction-cup like mouth to attach to rocks near waterfalls. They remain there for several months feasting on algae.
While the new species is similar to another species of purple frog, N. sahyadrensis, scientists are confident that the two are distinct species based on differences in skeleton anatomy and mating calls.
Creative Commons footage via Thomas A, Suyesh R, Biju SD, Bee MA (2014) Vocal Behavior of the Elusive Purple Frog of India (Nasikabatrachus sahyadrensis), a Fossorial Species Endemic to the Western Ghats. PLoS ONE 9(2): e84809. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0084809
