The purple frog was only discovered in 2003 in the Western Ghats of India, and was placed into its own family – the Nasikabatrachidae – the first new family of frogs to be described since 1926. This frog spends most of its time buried up to three and a half metres underground, only surfacing to breed in the rainy season.  It is probably this reclusive lifestyle which as meant that the species remained undiscovered for so long.

Habitat loss and degradation is known to be causing declines in a number of species from the Western Ghats, a large area of which has been deforested for agricultural plantations. The declining habitat quality and presence of the purple frog in fewer than five locations has lead to the classification of this species as Endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

EDGE aims to contribute information to a Conservation Action Plan for the purple frog, by funding an EDGE Fellow to carry out further research on the species, in particular its range, population status and trends, behaviour and threats. This information can be used to prioritise the protection of the most important areas of habitat for the species, action which will be supported by the EDGE programme.

£10 Could help fund the production of an information sheet raising awareness of EDGE species in local communities.

£200 Could help fund major habitat restoration projects and sensitive land use workshops involving local communities

£1000 Could train a local aspiring conservationist.