Habitat change may wipe out a newly discovered cascade frog species

• Making of check dams on streams and removal of boulders may wipe out the local population of Adi cascade frogs (Amolops adicola) as per scientists.
• Adi cascade frogs are a recently discovered species in Arunachal Pradesh.
• The nomenclature ‘cascade frogs’ draws on their preference for small waterfalls.

About Amolops adicola

• It is a predominantly brown colour frog, with a size ranging roughly between 4 cm to 7 cm.
• It is morphologically distinguished from its congeners by a suite of characters that include adult size, body colouration and markings, skin texture, snout shape, foot webbing and digit tip morphology.
• Cascade frogs are named so because of their preference for small waterfalls or cascades in flowing hill streams, for which they have developed certain morphological features such as expanded digit tips and extensive foot webbing.
• These distinct features makes them adapt to strong water currents.