Nasikabatrachus sahyadrensis

A frog that was thought to be nearly extinct was found again recently, and is considered highly endangered. The name of the frog is the Purple Frog although it is also called the Pig Nosed frog. Its body appears like a normal frogs, however the nose and mouth are unique. It lives mostly under the soil throughout the year and only comes out when a monsoon soaks the land during the yearly monsoon season. For around two weeks they mate, lay their eggs, and then vanish back under the ground for another year.

The adaptation of their strange face allows them to feed while under the surface on mostly termites, and they are rarely seen above ground otherwise; the frog is around 3 inches (8 cm) in length and weighs 5 ounces (142 grams). It is because of this very nature that they are seldom found, and often times overlooked. A rare species that is listed as endangered is further threatened by habitat loss, and climate change.

Its binomial name is Nasikabatrachus sahyadrensis, and it is considered a living fossil, as it is the only remaining member of its genus. It is related to the Seychelles Frogs as they belong to the same family, however when the Purple frog diverged – it was over 100 million years ago.

Picture of the purple frog by Karthickbala, licensed under GFDL

The Nasikabatrachus sahyadrensis is classified as Endangered (EN), considered to be facing a very high risk of extinction in the wild.