The sole surviving member of an ancient group of amphibians that evolved some 130 million years ago, the discovery of the purple frog (Nasikabatrachus sahyadrensis) has been described as a ‘once-in-a-century find’ (3) (4). This frog has a highly distinctive and somewhat comical appearance, with a hugely bloated body and short, stout limbs (2) (5). The small head seems almost too short for the body and the peculiar narrow snout ends in a white, knob-like protrusion (2) (3). The small, yet conspicuous eyes sit above a narrow mouth, which has a flexible lower jaw that allows the short and rounded tongue to protrude while feeding (2).
Adapted to a burrow-dwelling lifestyle, the purple frog has a shovel-shaped tubercle on each hindlimb and rounded toe-tips on the webbed feet that enable it to dig into the moist ground (2) (5). The smooth skin is dark purple on the upperside, fading to grey on the underside (5)The Photos..
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