Sand-eating Micrixalidae tadpoles species found in Western Ghats

Researchers have discovered Sand-eating tadpole species named Micrixalidae in Western Ghats. The tadpole belongs to the so-called Indian Dancing Frog family.

They were discovered from the deep recesses of streambeds in the Western Ghats

Key facts

They get their name Micrixalidae from their habit of waving their legs as a sign of territorial and sexual display while sitting on boulders in streams.

It lives in total darkness i.e. they are of fossorial [underground] nature and comes out after fully developing into a young frog.

Their fossorial nature is considered as a rare occurrence in the amphibian world.

These tadpole species have purple colour and possess muscular eel-like bodies. They have skin-covered eyes, which helps them to burrow through gravel beds.

They lack teeth but have powerful suckering mouths and have serrated jaw sheaths in order to prevent large sand grains from entering the mouth while feeding and moving through sand.

These tadpoles have ribs and whitish globular sacs also known as lime sacs for storing calcium carbonate.

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