Raorchestes kaikatti (Biju & Bossuyt, 2009) – Kaikatti Bush Frog

This extremely rare nocturnal species is endemic to Kaikatti, which is located on the Nelliyampathi hills in the Western Ghats of India (at the height of 1,000m asl). It inhabits on 1m tall trees in evergreen forest patches.

Conservation Status:

This species is listed as Critically Endangered in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (https://www.iucnredlist.org/).

According to the IUCN Red List assessment, the population of this species is declining, and its current population size is unknown. As all the individuals are reported from a single location, the Extent of Occurrence is less than 100 sq km and the Area of Occupancy is expected to be less than 10 sq km. The threat to its persistence comes from habitat degradation due to large-scale agriculture, tourism, and other commercial developments.

IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group. 2011. Raorchestes kaikatti. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2011: e.T186163A8503420. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2011-1.RLTS.T186163A8503420.en. Accessed on 27 November 2020.