Overview
- A Herpetology Notes paper released on December 17 reports that a small group of galaxy frogs disappeared from a study patch in India’s Western Ghats.
- Researchers documented overturned logs, displaced leaf litter and trampled vegetation after repeated photography visits to the microhabitat between 2021 and 2022.
- Trackers described frequent bare-handed handling, staged relocations for photos and prolonged high-powered flash use that can stress and dehydrate the fingertip-sized amphibians.
- One tracker reported two handling-related deaths during photoshoots, a claim the researchers noted but could not independently verify.
- ZSL and collaborators urge enforceable ethical standards and stronger on-the-ground management, highlighting that the EDGE-listed species is highly sensitive and range-restricted.