Anurans from wetlands of Puducherry, along the east coast of India

Abstract

Anurans of Puducherry, a union territory measuring 293 km2, on the East coast of India are understudied. In this communication, we provide a comprehensive list of anurans encountered in and around wetlands across this union territory. Visual Encounter Surveys during the rainy season in 17 wetlands yielded a total of 14 species belonging to four families. This diversity is relatively low compared to other urban areas like Bangalore or Pune having 16 and 31 species respectively. Possible reasons for this low diversity and scope for future studies have been emphasized.