Malabar Torrent Toad (Ghatophryne ornata)
Mohamed bin Zayed Species project number 190520667
Understanding the ecology and conservation priorities of the endangered Ghatophryne ornata (Gunther,1876) through research and community participation.
The project is composed with a broad aim to conserve this lesser-known endangered toad through research to on-ground conservation activities with the help of community participation. The objectives are; 1) to study the status, distribution and habitat preference of Ghatophryne ornata in the Kerala part of Western Ghats and further refinement through niche modeling, 2) to understand the behaviour and ecology including reproductive biology, activity pattern, call description and tadpole description of G. ornata , 3) to evaluate and quantify the anthropogenic pressure and other threats faced by G. ornata through community surveys and direct observations and to evolve conservation action plans with the help of different stakeholders, 4) to determine whether or not the ventral patterns are individual specific and stable over time and this will aid future population monitoring, 5) to draft an IUCN Red List assessment for the lesser known G. ornata based on the guidelines provided by IUCN to evaluate the risk factors.