Osmania University (OU) researchers have recorded 98 species of frogs, toads, lizards, and snakes in Telangana for the first time, asserting that the state is home to a wide diversity of amphibians and reptiles.
Among the 98 species, 16 of them are frogs and toads belonging to four families, one of them is a crocodile, six of them are turtles or tortoises, 35 species of lizards, and 40 species of snakes. The research report on this topic was recently published in the Journal of Threatened Taxa.
This study provides a baseline database on this important group of animals and documents the herpetofauna in total for the first time,” said the lead author of the study, Dr. C. Srinivasulu of Osmania University College of Science.
Dr. Srinivasulu, who heads the Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Studies at OU, says that for ease of understanding, in addition to the scientific names of the species, accepted English and Telugu names were also provided, along with information about the species’ IUCN status, whether the species is protected by the Indian Wildlife Protection Act and CITES, and their endemic status.
According to Dr. Srinivasulu, of the 98 species of herpetofauna recorded in the State, three were endemic to Telangana, which are Hemidactylus flavicaudus, Hemidactylus xericolus, and Hemidactylus aemulus.
Research on amphibians is needed more than ever as they are indicators of ecosystem health and pollution level. A drastic decline in the amphibian populations in the State can be attributed to the widespread use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides in agriculture fields, the dumping of industrial waste in waterbodies, encroachment, and conversion of waterbodies into human settlements.
Under the supervision of Dr. Srinivasulu, Dr. G Chethan Kumar co-authored the research paper on endemic Hemidactylus lizards.
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