Dehradun: Since its discovery nearly four decades ago, the Chakrata torrent frog, a rare amphibian named after Uttarakhand’s Chakrata region, has not been seen again, and may have become locally extinct, according to a new study that found no trace of the species during surveys across 13 historically suitable habitatsKnown as the Dehradun stream frog or Chakrata torrent frog (Amolops chakrataensis), the species was first recorded by Pranjanlendu Ray of the Zoological Survey of India in 1985 from a stream along Tiuni Road, about 14 km northwest of Chakrata town. It is listed as critically endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, a global database that classifies species into categories such as endangered, critically endangered and extinct.The researchers behind the study — titled ‘Evidence for the local extirpation of the Dehradun Stream Frog Amolops chakrataensis Ray, 1992 from the type locality, Chakrata in western Himalaya, India, and associated threats: A call for urgent conservation action’-– said the species has likely undergone local extinction, meaning it has disappeared from its type locality, the place where it was first discovered.Researchers surveyed 13 habitats in Chakrata and the Bhagirathi basin, including deodar-pine forest streams, agricultural areas with oak patches and forest-urban interface zones. Areas surveyed included Tiger Falls, Kanaser, Lokhandi, Bhagirathi Basin Maneri 1 and Maneri 2, Masak and Tyuni forests. Despite extensive searches, the team did not find a single chakrata frog.The study, recently published in the Journal of Threatened Taxa, identified habitat degradation among the probable reasons for the frog’s disappearance. Researchers said expanding residential and commercial construction has further reduced its habitat. “During the survey, it was observed that the streams in the type locality of A. chakrataensis were polluted with plastic waste. Items such as food wrappers, plastic bottles, bottle caps, grocery bags, straws and stirrers stemming from excessive tourism are regularly thrown into the streams by tourists and hotel owners,” the study said.Vishal Kumar Prasad, from Nanjing Forestry University and a research affiliate at the Wildlife Institute of India and the lead author of the study, told TOI, “Our findings highlight the importance of expanding field surveys beyond the historical locality and strengthening conservation efforts for this unique Himalayan amphibian.” He added, “Many amphibians remain poorly studied, and continued surveys are essential to determine whether remnant populations persist in unsurveyed areas while protecting the freshwater habitats on which they depend.”Co-author professor Amael Borzee, co-chair of the IUCN Species Survival Commission (SSC) Amphibian Specialist Group, said the study provides an opportunity to strengthen conservation efforts for Himalayan amphibians through coordinated research and habitat protection.The researchers recommended expanding surveys across suitable habitats in the western Himalaya and combining environmental DNA (eDNA) techniques, which detect genetic material left behind by animals in water, soil or other surroundings, with conventional survey methods to improve detection of rare species. They also called for protection and restoration of mountain stream habitats affected by pollution and habitat degradation and long-term monitoring through collaboration among researchers, govt agencies and local communities.The possible loss of the Chakrata torrent frog highlights wider concerns about ecological health. Amphibians are the world’s most threatened group of vertebrates, with more than 40% of species at risk of extinction. Scientists consider their decline an early warning sign of damage to freshwater ecosystems that support a wide range of biodiversity, including human communities.
