Papers by Seshadri Kadaba Shamanna
The genus Euphlyctis is widely distributed across Southwestern Arabian Peninsula into parts of So... more The genus Euphlyctis is widely distributed across Southwestern Arabian Peninsula into parts of Southeast Asia. Five of the seven known Euphlyctis species are found within the Indian subcontinent. Here, we describe a new species, Euphlyctis karaavali sp. nov. from South-west coast of India, which was discovered during surveys engaging citizens. This species was identified to be distinct based on molecular and morphological evidence. We provide a detailed description of this species along with its call description and compare it with closest congeners. Previous studies in the region had identified this species as E. hexadactylus but suggested the possibility of it being cryptic. Genetically E. karaavali sp. nov. is distinct from E. hexadactylus with a genetic divergence of 9.2% (12S and 16S) and shows a high divergence with E. kalasgramensis and E. ehrenbergii (13.04% each). Our findings are discussed in the context of cryptic species discovery, citizen engagement in scientific progre...
インド西部海岸平野からのEuphlyctis(両生類,無尾目,Dicroglossidae)の新種【Powered by NICT】
Zootaxa, 2012
A new species of the shrub frog genus Raorchestes Biju, Souche, Dubois, Dutta and Bossuyt is desc... more A new species of the shrub frog genus Raorchestes Biju, Souche, Dubois, Dutta and Bossuyt is described as Raorchesteskakachi sp. nov. from Agastyamalai hill region in the southern Western Ghats, India. The small sized Raorchestes (male:24.7–25.8 mm, n = 3 and female: 24.3–34.1 mm, n = 3) is distinguished from all other known congeners by the followingsuite of characters. Snout oval in dorsal view; tympanum indistinct; head wider than long; moderate webbing in feet;colour on dorsum varying from ivory to brown, blotches of dark brown on flanks, brown mottling on throat reducing to-wards vent; inner and outer surface of thigh, inner surface of shank and inner surface of tarsus with a distinct dark brownhorizontal band which extends upto first three toes on upper surface. A detailed description, advertisement call features, ecology, natural history notes and comparison with closely related species are provided for the new species.
Zootaxa, 2016
Microhyla sholigari is an endangered frog described in the year 2000. The original description wa... more Microhyla sholigari is an endangered frog described in the year 2000. The original description was based on non-adult types and lacked information on several morphological characters, call structure, genetic material and photographs of the animal in life. The absence of such information posed challenges in field identification of this species. Since the original description, there is one other reported sighting of this species from Kerala in 2001. We encountered specimens that we confer to this species based on morphological similarity to the subadult holotype, from several new localities within and outside the Western Ghats of Karnataka. We here redescribe the species based on additional adult vouchers, provide molecular data, describe the advertisement call and report a range extension. Based on its current distribution, we assess the threat status of the species and suggest listing it as Least Concern according to IUCN Red List criteria. Our paper bridges an important gap in the ...
Check List, 2008
Anurans of Puducherry, a union territory measuring 293 km2, on the East coast of India are unders... more Anurans of Puducherry, a union territory measuring 293 km2, on the East coast of India are understudied. In this communication, we provide a comprehensive list of anurans encountered in and around wetlands across this union territory. Visual Encounter Surveys during the rainy season in 17 wetlands yielded a total of 14 species belonging to four families. This diversity is relatively low compared to other urban areas like Bangalore or Pune having 16 and 31 species respectively. Possible reasons for this low diversity and scope for future studies have been emphasized.
Mandookavani: An acoustic guide to the frogs and toads of the Western Ghats
Anurans (frogs and toads) are the first four legged animals to have set foot on land and evolved ... more Anurans (frogs and toads) are the first four legged animals to have set foot on land and evolved to communicate vocally. They are able to emit sounds by vibrating vocal chords by pushing air over them and using their vocal sac for amplification. Male frogs advertise their presence to females using these vocalizations or calls. This system is so advanced that each species has its own unique vocalization pattern. We too can use the calls to tell them apart. There are, in the Western Ghats, over 217 species of amphibians, of which 192 are anurans. A curated database of anuran vocalizations would be a valuable addition to our knowledge and understanding of them. Mandookavani is one such attempt to curate and bring you the diversity and vocal repertoire of anurans in our Western Ghats. This database, apart from serving as an auditory treat, is also intended serve as an acoustic field guide. This first version presents calls of 70 species of anurans and is brought to you by Gubbi Labs LLP...
Biotropica, 2014
Vast areas of tropical evergreen forests have been selectively logged in the past, and many areas... more Vast areas of tropical evergreen forests have been selectively logged in the past, and many areas continue to be logged. The impacts of such logging on amphibians are poorly understood. I examined the response of anuran communities to historical selective logging in a wet evergreen forest in south India. Anuran assemblages in unlogged forest were compared with assemblages in selectively logged forest. Forty 10 m 9 10 m quadrats in forest, riparian zones, and streams of unlogged and selectively logged forests were searched at night for anurans. Species richness did not appear to be affected by logging. However, anuran density varied significantly and was 42 percent lower in selectively logged forests compared to unlogged forests. Anuran densities also varied significantly across microhabitats, with highest densities in streams of both selectively logged and unlogged forests. Patterns of niche overlap varied with selective logging as niche breadth either expanded, contracted, or remained neutral for different species. Ordination analysis explained 95 percent of the variation in species assemblage across selectively logged and unlogged forests. The assemblage in selectively logged forest was nested within unlogged forest. Among the habitat characteristics, litter thickness and water depth had the highest influence on the assemblage. This was followed by litter/water temperature, air temperature, and lastly relative humidity. It appears that species richness and composition of anurans in selectively logged forests is converging with unlogged forests, but the effects of historical logging seem to persist on anuran densities and their niche characteristics even ca 40 yr since logging ceased.
Journal of Threatened Taxa, 2013
Chetana H C and Mr. Samuel Jacob for their valuable inputs; Mr. M. Mathivanan and other staff of ... more Chetana H C and Mr. Samuel Jacob for their valuable inputs; Mr. M. Mathivanan and other staff of the Agasthyamalai Community based Conservation Centre, at Manimutharu for help and logistic support. We are grateful to Ms. Deepa Ruth Varkey, Mr. Saleem Hameed and all other volunteers and vehicle drivers who lent invaluable support during the field work. Author Contribution: TG designed the study. KA, JPD, MBP, KSS and TG collected the data, analysed and wrote the manuscript. MBP designed the map. Author Details: K. Abhisheka, Ecologist, trained artist and also an urban wildlife rehabilitator. She uses her experience in field ecology and the medium of art to reach out to people on conservation related issues. She is currently a freelancer. J. Patrick David, Ecologist, currently working as project coordinator with Care Earth Trust, Chennai. His responsibility is to survey for birds in the Eastern Ghats of Tamil Nadu and identify birding hotspots. M.B. Prashanth, interested in avian diversities in wetlands and is currently working on the mapping of wetlands and their habitat characteristics in relation to diversity and abundance of waterbirds. Has been involved in the coordination , surveying and compiling reports of the midwinter waterbird census in the Tamiraparni river basin. Currently with ATREE. K.S. Seshadri, Ecologist, primarily interested in understanding how human actions alter the ecosystems. As a Graduate student, he is studying the ecology and behavior of red-listed amphibians in the Western Ghats. Currently pursuing PhD at Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore. T. Ganesh, Ecologist, for over three decades, he has worked and advised students on various ecological aspects primarily focussing on plant-animal interaction; bird and primate ecology; ecological restoration and long term monitoring of forests. He has also authored a bilingual multi taxa field guide. He is currently a senior fellow at ATREE.
Forest Ecology and Management, 2011
The presence of roads in any landscape is known to negatively influence terrestrial and aquatic e... more The presence of roads in any landscape is known to negatively influence terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Many tourist destinations and religious enclaves in developing countries are inside protected areas (PA). They are well connected by roads and attract thousands of visitors. The effect of such large human congregations inside PA on biodiversity is not well understood. Here, we address the impacts of increased vehicular traffic due to religious tourism on local fauna inside the Kalakad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve in south India. We sampled sections of surfaced roads for mortalities before and during an annual festival across three habitats in 2008 and 2009. Millipedes, anurans, insects and reptiles dominated the mortalities and mammals avoided the roads. A total of 1413 individuals belonging to 56 species were killed on roads. Nocturnal species constituted 50% of these mortalities and 64% of the species composition. There was a 299% increase in road mortalities and 648% increase in nocturnal species mortality during the festival compared to those before the festival. Mean mortalities varied across habitats and were highest in moist deciduous forests. Mortalities were influenced significantly by vehicular traffic rather than rainfall. Indications of a temporary local extinction were evident beyond certain threshold of vehicular movement. The number of vehicles plying on the roads was three times higher than the threshold level as determined in this study. The festival also had a spillover effect by causing increased mortalities on roads not connected to the temple. We discuss several strategies to minimize impacts due to large scale vehicular movement inside protected areas.
Discovery, Parental Care, and Conservation of Frogs in the Western Ghats of India
Ph.DDOCTOR OF PHILOSOPH
The genus Euphlyctis is widely distributed across Southwestern Arabian Peninsula into parts of So... more The genus Euphlyctis is widely distributed across Southwestern Arabian Peninsula into parts of Southeast Asia. Five of the seven known Euphlyctis species are found within the Indian subcontinent. Here, we describe a new species, Euphlyctis karaavali sp. nov. from South-west coast of India, which was discovered during surveys engaging
citizens. This species was identified to be distinct based on molecular and morphological evidence. We provide a detailed description of this species along with its call description and compare it with closest congeners. Previous studies in the region had identified this species as E. hexadactylus but suggested the possibility of it being cryptic. Genetically E. karaavali sp. nov. is distinct from E. hexadactylus with a genetic divergence of 9.2% (12S and 16S) and shows a high divergence with E. kalasgramensis and E. ehrenbergii (13.04% each). Our findings are discussed in the context of cryptic species discovery, citizen engagement in scientific progress and conservation measures while suggesting future directions.
Microhyla sholigari is an endangered frog described in the year 2000. The original description wa... more Microhyla sholigari is an endangered frog described in the year 2000. The original description was based on non-adult types and lacked information on several morphological characters, call structure, genetic material and photographs of the animal in life. The absence of such information posed challenges in field identification of this species. Since the original description, there is one other reported sighting of this species from Kerala in 2001. We encountered specimens that we confer to this species based on morphological similarity to the subadult holotype, from several new localities within and outside the Western Ghats of Karnataka. We here redescribe the species based on additional adult vouchers, provide molecular data, describe the advertisement call and report a range extension. Based on its current distribution, we assess the threat status of the species and suggest listing it as Least Concern according to IUCN Red List criteria. Our paper bridges an important gap in the knowledge of the genus Microhyla in India and highlights the importance of systematic surveys in documenting and understanding amphibian diversity in the region.
In recent times, several new species of amphibians have been described from India. Many of these ... more In recent times, several new species of amphibians have been described from India. Many of these discoveries are from biodiversity hotspots or from within protected areas. We undertook amphibian surveys in human dominated landscapes outside of protected areas in south western region of India between years 2013–2015. We encountered a new species of Microhyla which is described here as Microhyla laterite sp. nov. It was delimited using molecular, morphometric and bioacoustics comparisons. Microhyla laterite sp. nov. appears to be restricted to areas of the West coast of India dominated by laterite rock formations. The laterite rock formations date as far back as the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary and are considered to be wastelands in-spite of their intriguing geological history. We identify knowledge gaps in our understanding of the genus Microhyla from the Indian subcontinent and suggest ways to bridge them.
Journal of Threatened Taxa, Jan 1, 2009
Author Details: K. Abhisheka, Ecologist, trained artist and also an urban wildlife rehabilitator.... more Author Details: K. Abhisheka, Ecologist, trained artist and also an urban wildlife rehabilitator. She uses her experience in field ecology and the medium of art to reach out to people on conservation related issues. She is currently a freelancer. J. Patrick David, Ecologist, currently working as project co-ordinator with Care Earth Trust, Chennai. His responsibility is to survey for birds in the Eastern Ghats of Tamil Nadu and identify birding hotspots. M.B. Prashanth, interested in avian diversities in wetlands and is currently working on the mapping of wetlands and their habitat characteristics in relation to diversity and abundance of waterbirds. Has been involved in the co-ordination, surveying and compiling reports of the mid-winter waterbird census in the Tamiraparni river basin. Currently with ATREE. K.S. Seshadri, Ecologist, primarily interested in understanding how human actions alter the ecosystems. As a Graduate student, he is studying the ecology and behavior of red-listed amphibians in the Western Ghats. Currently pursuing PhD at Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore. T. Ganesh, Ecologist, for over three decades, he has worked and advised students on various ecological aspects primarily focussing on plant-animal interaction; bird and primate ecology; ecological restoration and long term monitoring of forests. He has also authored a bilingual multi taxa field guide. He is currently a senior fellow at ATREE.
India has one of the highest rates of economic and population growth of all the developing nation... more India has one of the highest rates of economic and population growth of all the developing nations as well as
being a biologically and culturally rich country. Therefore, finding the delicate balance between development
and nature conservation is very important. Unfortunately, more attention and resources are currently committed
to India’s economic development than to conservation of biodiversity, and the resulting rapid increase
in roads and vehicles is causing numerous ecological problems.
52.1 The extensive road networks within and around protected areas are a major challenge for
conserving biodiversity.
52.2 Roads to religious enclaves inside forests are an increasing threat to wildlife.
52.3 India needs ecological principles in its road‐construction policies, stronger political will and simple
engineering solutions to effectively avoid and mitigate road impacts.
India and its citizens have historically shown tremendous respect to wildlife, and a lot can be achieved
based on this understanding. The lessons in this chapter demonstrate that solutions to many of the problems
associated
with roads and traffic can and have been found through dialogue between the stakeholders.
Amphibians exhibit extraordinarily diverse sets of reproductive strategies among vertebrates. Und... more Amphibians exhibit extraordinarily diverse sets of reproductive strategies among vertebrates. Understanding life
history strategies in an evolutionary framework is lacking for many amphibian species in the tropics. Here, we report
a novel reproductive mode where adult frogs enter hollow internodes of bamboo via a small opening, deposit direct
developing eggs, and provide parental care. This behaviour is observed in two species of the frog genus Raorchestes.
The first description of this unique life history and details of nest site characteristics and embryo development are
provided along with ecological comparisons. Evolution of novel reproductive modes and parental care are discussed
in context of natural selection. Dearth of natural history information on amphibians in the Western Ghats and much
of the South-East Asian region is highlighted with suggestions for further studies.
Vast areas of tropical evergreen forests have been selectively logged in the past, and many areas... more Vast areas of tropical evergreen forests have been selectively logged in the past, and many areas continue to be logged. The impacts of
such logging on amphibians are poorly understood. I examined the response of anuran communities to historical selective logging in a
wet evergreen forest in south India. Anuran assemblages in unlogged forest were compared with assemblages in selectively logged forest.
Forty 10 m 9 10 m quadrats in forest, riparian zones, and streams of unlogged and selectively logged forests were searched at night
for anurans. Species richness did not appear to be affected by logging. However, anuran density varied significantly and was 42 percent
lower in selectively logged forests compared to unlogged forests. Anuran densities also varied significantly across microhabitats, with
highest densities in streams of both selectively logged and unlogged forests. Patterns of niche overlap varied with selective logging as
niche breadth either expanded, contracted, or remained neutral for different species. Ordination analysis explained 95 percent of the variation
in species assemblage across selectively logged and unlogged forests. The assemblage in selectively logged forest was nested within
unlogged forest. Among the habitat characteristics, litter thickness and water depth had the highest influence on the assemblage. This
was followed by litter/water temperature, air temperature, and lastly relative humidity. It appears that species richness and composition
of anurans in selectively logged forests is converging with unlogged forests, but the effects of historical logging seem to persist on
anuran densities and their niche characteristics even ca 40 yr since logging ceased.
A new species of the shrub frog genus Raorchestes Biju, Souche, Dubois, Dutta and Bossuyt is desc... more A new species of the shrub frog genus Raorchestes Biju, Souche, Dubois, Dutta and Bossuyt is described as Raorchestes kakachi sp. nov. from Agastyamalai hill region in the southern Western Ghats, India. The small sized Raorchestes (male: 24.7–25.8 mm, n = 3 and female: 24.3–34.1 mm, n = 3) is distinguished from all other known congeners by the following suite of characters. Snout oval in dorsal view; tympanum indistinct; head wider than long; moderate webbing in feet; colour on dorsum varying from ivory to brown, blotches of dark brown on flanks, brown mottling on throat reducing towards vent; inner and outer surface of thigh, inner surface of shank and inner surface of tarsus with a distinct dark brown horizontal band which extends upto first three toes on upper surface. A detailed description, advertisement call features, ecology, natural history notes and comparison with closely related species are provided for the new species.
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Papers by Seshadri Kadaba Shamanna
citizens. This species was identified to be distinct based on molecular and morphological evidence. We provide a detailed description of this species along with its call description and compare it with closest congeners. Previous studies in the region had identified this species as E. hexadactylus but suggested the possibility of it being cryptic. Genetically E. karaavali sp. nov. is distinct from E. hexadactylus with a genetic divergence of 9.2% (12S and 16S) and shows a high divergence with E. kalasgramensis and E. ehrenbergii (13.04% each). Our findings are discussed in the context of cryptic species discovery, citizen engagement in scientific progress and conservation measures while suggesting future directions.
being a biologically and culturally rich country. Therefore, finding the delicate balance between development
and nature conservation is very important. Unfortunately, more attention and resources are currently committed
to India’s economic development than to conservation of biodiversity, and the resulting rapid increase
in roads and vehicles is causing numerous ecological problems.
52.1 The extensive road networks within and around protected areas are a major challenge for
conserving biodiversity.
52.2 Roads to religious enclaves inside forests are an increasing threat to wildlife.
52.3 India needs ecological principles in its road‐construction policies, stronger political will and simple
engineering solutions to effectively avoid and mitigate road impacts.
India and its citizens have historically shown tremendous respect to wildlife, and a lot can be achieved
based on this understanding. The lessons in this chapter demonstrate that solutions to many of the problems
associated
with roads and traffic can and have been found through dialogue between the stakeholders.
history strategies in an evolutionary framework is lacking for many amphibian species in the tropics. Here, we report
a novel reproductive mode where adult frogs enter hollow internodes of bamboo via a small opening, deposit direct
developing eggs, and provide parental care. This behaviour is observed in two species of the frog genus Raorchestes.
The first description of this unique life history and details of nest site characteristics and embryo development are
provided along with ecological comparisons. Evolution of novel reproductive modes and parental care are discussed
in context of natural selection. Dearth of natural history information on amphibians in the Western Ghats and much
of the South-East Asian region is highlighted with suggestions for further studies.
such logging on amphibians are poorly understood. I examined the response of anuran communities to historical selective logging in a
wet evergreen forest in south India. Anuran assemblages in unlogged forest were compared with assemblages in selectively logged forest.
Forty 10 m 9 10 m quadrats in forest, riparian zones, and streams of unlogged and selectively logged forests were searched at night
for anurans. Species richness did not appear to be affected by logging. However, anuran density varied significantly and was 42 percent
lower in selectively logged forests compared to unlogged forests. Anuran densities also varied significantly across microhabitats, with
highest densities in streams of both selectively logged and unlogged forests. Patterns of niche overlap varied with selective logging as
niche breadth either expanded, contracted, or remained neutral for different species. Ordination analysis explained 95 percent of the variation
in species assemblage across selectively logged and unlogged forests. The assemblage in selectively logged forest was nested within
unlogged forest. Among the habitat characteristics, litter thickness and water depth had the highest influence on the assemblage. This
was followed by litter/water temperature, air temperature, and lastly relative humidity. It appears that species richness and composition
of anurans in selectively logged forests is converging with unlogged forests, but the effects of historical logging seem to persist on
anuran densities and their niche characteristics even ca 40 yr since logging ceased.