Matherana Leaping Frog

Fascinating facts about the Matherana Leaping Frog

• Male Leith's leaping frogs measure about 19 mm in length, while females can reach up to 36 mm.
• These frogs are found from 25 m up to 1,329 m above sea level on basalt cliffs.
• During breeding, frogs gather in rock caverns, laying eggs on wet rocks where tadpoles cling to the stones and feed on algae; the tadpoles are semi-aquatic.
• Unlike most frogs, this species has no call we can hear, meaning scientists must rely on visual cues and habitat clues to locate them during surveys. Their silent nature reminds us that not all wildlife follows the same rules we expect.
• Scientists have observed the fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis on this frog, though its impact is unknown.

At a glance

About the Matherana Leaping Frog

The Matheran leaping frog, Indirana leithii, is a diminutive denizen of the northern Western Ghats, with males measuring just 19–29 mm and females 24–36 mm from snout to vent. Its rough, brownish dorsum is peppered with tightly packed black speckles, while the limbs bear striking cross-bars that break the monotony of its camouflage. A distinctive feature is the two-thirds-eye-diameter tympanum, framed by a strong supra-tympanic fold that runs from eye to shoulder, and enlarged discs on fingers and toes that cling to basalt cliffs and leaf litter alike. Though its call is silent to human ears, this frog’s breeding drama unfolds in hidden rock caverns, where hundreds gather to lay eggs on damp surfaces; the tadpoles cling to the stone with specialized mouths, scraping algae in a semi-aquatic existence that accelerates hind-leg development far earlier than in other amphibians. Adults stalk the forest floor, preying on ants, grubs, and hemipterans, their white bellies and mottled throats a subtle reminder of the hidden life thriving beneath the evergreen canopy. The species’ range, confined to Maharashtra and southern Gujarat, spans elevations from 25 to 1,329 m, linking a mosaic of protected sanctuaries, Bhimashankar, Kalsubai Harishchandragad, Tamhini-Sudhagad, Phansad, Sahyadri Tiger Reserve, and Vansda, where basalt cliffs and streams provide the perfect stage for this quiet leaper’s daily theatre,

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