Guwahati: The monsoon season brings a unique vibrancy to Assam’s famed Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve (KNPTR) where the night air is filled with the reverberating calls of frogs.
These amphibians along with the reptiles form a group known as herpetofauna, which play a crucial role as indicator species for the environment contributing significantly to pest control.
They also serve as a food source for various predators and contribute to human culture and recreation.
Despite their ecological importance, they remain some of the least studied and most vulnerable species to the impacts of climate change, KNPTR field director, Sonali Ghosh, said.
In view of this, the Kaziranga National Park authorities conducted a rapid herpetofaunal survey between June 14 and 17 this year. During the survey, the first recorded sighting of the Striped Caecilian (Ichthyophis spp) was reported.
Caecilians are a group of limbless amphibians that predominantly reside beneath the soil rendering them the least studied amphibian species.
They belong to an ancient lineage and their presence holds critical linkages to evolution and intercontinental speciation, she said.
The KNPTR, spanning a total area of 1,307.49 square kilometres, has a diverse ecosystem comprising floodplains, wetlands, grasslands and peripheral hill tracks thus creating an ideal habitat ideal for herpetofauna.
In 2010, a survey of the park recorded 24 species of amphibians and 74 species of reptiles. India is home to 29 species of tortoises and freshwater turtles, of which, 21 are found in KNPTR making it the highest in the country, she added.
In addition to the rapid survey, a training and sensitisation programme was conducted to enhance the skills and knowledge of the forest personnel in herpetofauna identification and conservation.
The participants received practical training and partook in field surveys which enhanced their knowledge of the park’s diverse reptile and amphibian species, she said.
Moreover, the rescue of snakes and preventing snake bites by forest patrolling teams during the monsoon season were discussed.
A photographic checklist on reptiles and amphibians of KNPTR was also released during the occasion.
This initiative was aimed at ensuring better management and protection of these vital species, she further said.