The rain forests with interspersed streams, rivers/rivulets, reservoirs and marsh lands, and the adjoining premises provide favorable habitats for frogs and toads. Altogether 38 species of Amphibians are known from this region, of which 26 are endemic to the Western Ghats. The amphibian richness of Malabar wildlife sanctuary has been further revealed by the recent discoveries or report of the frog species like Nyctibatrachus minimus, Philautus anili, P. akroparallagi, P. chromasynchysi, P. nerostagona, P. ochlandrae, P. ponmudi and P. tuberohumerus (Gururaja et al., 2007; Biju and Bossyut, 2009). The type locality for P. ochlandrae is the reed brakes of Kakkayam dam site, the only known site for this species.

Rare and endemic species like Ansonia rubigina, Pedostibes tuberculosus, Ramanella montana, R. traingularis, Rhacophorus malabaricus, R. lateralis, Bufo parietalis and Clinotarsus curtipes have also been observed to occur here, thriving in potentially viable populations. Amphibian studies in Malabar wildlife sanctuary reveal that, Malabar wildlife sanctuary harbors a few more species of frog species not known to science.

Amphibians in Malabar Wildlife Sanctuary