Malabar Tree Toad: Karnataka’s State Amphibian and the Evidence Behind Species Records

Why in news?

Karnataka has chosen the Malabar tree toad as its state amphibian, according to a 3 November 2026 report in The New Indian Express. The report says the Forest, Ecology and Environment Department signed the order on 27 October, following a decision announced in May. The choice brings attention to a small, tree-climbing animal associated with the forests and streams of the Western Ghats.

A state wildlife symbol can give a local species a familiar place in education and public awareness. In this case, the subject also offers a useful way to understand how scientists establish where an elusive animal occurs and how they study its habitat.

A toad of the Western Ghats

The species’ scientific name is Pedostibes tuberculosus. It belongs to the family Bufonidae, within the amphibian order Anura, which includes frogs and toads. The American Museum of Natural History’s reference currently recognises it as the sole species in the genus Pedostibes.

It is endemic to the Western Ghats, meaning its natural range is confined to that region. Published accounts record it across forest localities from Maharashtra towards southern Kerala and adjacent southwestern Tamil Nadu. Karnataka lies within this wider native range.

The toad is arboreal: it uses trees and other vegetation. Field observations described in a 2024 study include records along streams, on trees and inside tree cavities, in evergreen and moist deciduous forests.

Listening as well as looking

A field study published in Herpetological Review documented males calling from vegetation beside a perennial stream in Karnataka. Male toads have a vocal sac below the throat. Their advertisement calls form part of communication associated with breeding. Recording these calls gives researchers evidence that can complement a photograph or a direct sighting.

How public observations become research data

Citizen science involves members of the public contributing observations to a scientific effort. The Mapping Malabar Tree Toad programme collected records that researchers used in a 2024 distribution study. Photographs, audio and video helped them check identification.

The study assembled 655 observations from several sources. Researchers removed uncertain and duplicate entries and reduced clustering of nearby records. This produced 190 occurrence points for analysis. An occurrence point records a place where the species was documented.

Diagram shows observations with location and date, identification checks, removal of duplicate records, and a dataset of distinct occurrence points. — Checking identification and removing repeated records turns observations into a dataset for analysis. Clarity original diagram, source: Aravind and colleagues, Scientific Reports, 2024.

The next step linked locations with environmental information, such as rainfall, vegetation and elevation. A habitat-suitability model examines relationships between recorded occurrences and those conditions. Researchers can then estimate where similar conditions may support the species and explore how suitability could change under specified climate scenarios.

Its current conservation assessment

The IUCN assessment published in 2023 lists the Malabar tree toad as Least Concern. It was assessed on 9 October 2020 and records a decreasing population trend. The listing identifies forest and inland-wetland habitats and pressures including habitat conversion, logging, roads, pollution and changes to water systems.

Conservation work therefore involves attention to both the forest vegetation used by the animal and the freshwater habitats in its landscape. Repeated, well-documented observations can help researchers track where the toad occurs and guide more detailed surveys.

Conclusion

Karnataka’s choice gives the Malabar tree toad greater public visibility. Its study connects natural-history knowledge with carefully checked observations, showing how local participation can contribute to understanding Western Ghats biodiversity.