Assam Cascade Frogs: Key Facts for UPSC Aspirants II IAS

Assam Cascade Frogs

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Context:

Assam Cascade Frogs have helped scientists from the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) gain insights into how water flow impacts the abundance of the species in Western Himalayan streams.

Assam Cascade Frogs

Aspect	Description
About	●They are also called Cascade or torrent frogs and belong to the genus Amolops. ●They are amphibians which comprise 72 distinct species, distributed throughout the hilly regions with fast-flowing streams in southern and Southeast Asia.
Distinguishing characteristic	●Amolops are highly adapted to fast-flowing hill streams because they have adhesive disks on the tips of their digits with circum-marginal grooves that help them stick to rocks and other substrates.
Habitat	●They are found at elevations of 1,000 to 2,508 metres above sea level.
Distribution	●They are distributed across the Himalayan belt in India and found in high-flowing and gradient streams of northern Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal.
Significance	●This species can be used as an indicator for the long-term monitoring of the condition of hilly streams.
IUCN Status	●Least Concern

Churdhar Wildlife Sanctuary

It is located in the Sirmaur district of the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh.
The total covered area of this sanctuary is 56.16 square kilometres, as notified on November 15, 1985.
The sanctuary is named after Churdhar Peak which is the highest peak in Sirmour district and is also the highest peak in the outer Himalayas.
The fauna includes Himalayan black bear, Barking deer, Musk deer, Langur and Leopards.
Its flora is mostly known for herbal medicine trees and plants. Wild Himalayan Cherry, Aloe Vera (Dhrit Kumari), Amaranthus spinosus (Chulai), etc with medicinal properties are found here. The important trees are oak and deodar.

Sources:

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/himachal-pradesh/assam-cascade-frog-test-for-himachal-stream-water-flow-impact-on-species/article68637947.ece#

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Churdhar_Sanctuary#:~:text=Churdhar%20Sanctuary%20is%20located%20in,Musk%20deer%2C%20Langur%20and%20Leopards.

PRACTICE QUESTION

Q.Consider the following statements regarding Assam Cascade Frogs recently seen in the news:

They are mostly found in ponds and lakes where water is still.
They have adhesive disks on the tips of their digits with circum-marginal grooves that help them stick to rocks and other substrates.
They are only found in Assam.

How many of the above statements is/are correct?

A. Only one

B. Only two

C. All Three

D. None

Answer: A

Explanation:

Statement 1 is incorrect:

Assam Cascade Frogs

●They are also called Cascade or torrent frogs and belong to the genus Amolops.

●They are amphibians which comprise 72 distinct species, distributed throughout the hilly regions with fast-flowing streams in southern and Southeast Asia.

Statement 2 is correct:

●Amolops are highly adapted to fast-flowing hill streams because they have adhesive disks on the tips of their digits with circum-marginal grooves that help them stick to rocks and other substrates.

●This species can be used as an indicator for the long-term monitoring of the condition of hilly streams.

Statement 3 is incorrect:

●They are found at elevations of 1,000 to 2,508 metres above sea level.

●They are distributed across the Himalayan belt in India and found in high-flowing and gradient streams of northern Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal.

Assam Cascade Frogs

Context:

Assam Cascade Frogs

Aspect

Description

Churdhar Wildlife Sanctuary