<p>Researchers have discovered a new tadpole that burrows through sand and lives in complete darkness in streambeds in the Western Ghats.<br /><br /></p>.<p>The tadpole, belonging to the Indian Dancing Frog family Micrixalidae, was documented in a joint expedition by a group of scientists from University of Delhi, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka and Gettysburg College, USA.<br /><br />PLOS ONE, an open-access journal, recently published the study on this by Gayani Senevirathne from the University of Peradeniya and colleagues.<br /><br />According to the study, these tadpoles were discovered in the deep recesses of streambeds where they live in total darkness until they fully develop into froglets.<br /><br />With muscular eel-like bodies and skin-covered eyes which facilitate burrowing through gravel beds, the tadpole has well-serrated jaw sheaths which may help prevent large sand grains from entering its mouth while feeding and moving through sand.<br /><br />The Indian Dancing frogs typically wave their legs as a territorial and sexual display while sitting on boulders in streams.<br /><br />Though these displays are well known, the tadpoles of these frogs were completely unknown. This was, in fact, the only family of frogs and toads whose tadpoles remained a mystery.<br /><br />"We provided the first confirmed report of the tadpoles of Indian Dancing Frog family. These tadpoles probably remained unnoticed all these years because of their fossorial nature which in itself is a rare occurrence in the amphibian world," Prof S D Biju from University of Delhi said in a statement.<br /><br />Very little is known about the habitat requirements of these tadpoles. Observations made so far show that they inhabit sandy banks under canopy-covered streams, it said.<br /><br />The new finding reiterates the uniqueness of amphibians of the biodiversity hotspot of Western Ghats, providing a platform for future studies on this amphibian family, while also delivering useful information for conservation of these ancient and endemic frogs, the researcher added.</p>
<p>Researchers have discovered a new tadpole that burrows through sand and lives in complete darkness in streambeds in the Western Ghats.<br /><br /></p>.<p>The tadpole, belonging to the Indian Dancing Frog family Micrixalidae, was documented in a joint expedition by a group of scientists from University of Delhi, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka and Gettysburg College, USA.<br /><br />PLOS ONE, an open-access journal, recently published the study on this by Gayani Senevirathne from the University of Peradeniya and colleagues.<br /><br />According to the study, these tadpoles were discovered in the deep recesses of streambeds where they live in total darkness until they fully develop into froglets.<br /><br />With muscular eel-like bodies and skin-covered eyes which facilitate burrowing through gravel beds, the tadpole has well-serrated jaw sheaths which may help prevent large sand grains from entering its mouth while feeding and moving through sand.<br /><br />The Indian Dancing frogs typically wave their legs as a territorial and sexual display while sitting on boulders in streams.<br /><br />Though these displays are well known, the tadpoles of these frogs were completely unknown. This was, in fact, the only family of frogs and toads whose tadpoles remained a mystery.<br /><br />"We provided the first confirmed report of the tadpoles of Indian Dancing Frog family. These tadpoles probably remained unnoticed all these years because of their fossorial nature which in itself is a rare occurrence in the amphibian world," Prof S D Biju from University of Delhi said in a statement.<br /><br />Very little is known about the habitat requirements of these tadpoles. Observations made so far show that they inhabit sandy banks under canopy-covered streams, it said.<br /><br />The new finding reiterates the uniqueness of amphibians of the biodiversity hotspot of Western Ghats, providing a platform for future studies on this amphibian family, while also delivering useful information for conservation of these ancient and endemic frogs, the researcher added.</p>