Shillong: Scientists have made a groundbreaking discovery about the breeding habits of a tiny, high-altitude frog native to Mawsynam, Megamalaya. The Kurixalus naso, a species of frog found in the region, has been found to bury its eggs in soil, relying on seasonal monsoon rains to trigger hatching.
The research, published in Current Science, reveals that the frog’s breeding cycle is perfectly synchronised with Meghalaya’s distinct wet-dry seasons. The study was conducted by a team of researchers, including PW Shangpliang from St Edmund’s College Shillong, RNK Hooroo, a retired professor from NEHU, and SK Dutta from the Nature Environment and Wildlife Society.
Following a period of hibernation in rock crevices during the dry months, male frogs emerge with the first pre-monsosoon showers in February. Instead of seeking out water bodies, they dig small burrows on the forest floor and call out for mates. After a mating embrace lasting around five to six hours, females lay their eggs directly into these earthen chambers before departing.
In a rare display of parental behaviour, the male frog then carefully pushes the eggs towards the soil surface and mixes them with dirt. The eggs remain dormant for 8-15 days, until heavy rainfall floods the burrows, triggering hatching. Remarkably, when the tadpoles emerge, they have already reached an advanced stage of development, having lost their gills before ever encountering water.
This unique adaptation raises significant biological questions about gill function during embryonic development and represents a highly specialised evolutionary response to Meghalaya’s unique climate. However, scientists warn that this breeding strategy may make the Kurixalus naso particularly vulnerable to climate change. With its reproductive cycle entirely dependent on predictable rainfall patterns, disruptions to monsoon timing could threaten the species’ survival.
As a result, the frog may serve as an important indicator species for monitoring climate shifts in the region.
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