Scientists have discovered unique breeding behaviour in the endemic Charles Darwin frog (Minervaria charlesdarwini) species in the Andaman Islands.Family: It belongs to the Dicroglossidae family, a large group of Asian frogs that contains over 220 species.IUCN status: The frog is currently listed as ‘vulnerable’ on the IUCN Red List.
Key Features
- They are named in honour of the famous naturalist Charles Darwin.
- These frogs lay their terrestrial eggs over water and lie upside down on tree cavity walls during breeding, possibly as an adaptation to habitat loss.
- Due to fragmented forest habitat, they now use artificial objects such as plastic bags as breeding sites.
- Male frogs make three distinct calls to attract females, as well as aggressive calls to ward off rivals. When unsuccessful, they engage in physical confrontations resembling human combat techniques.