Influence of microhabitat on the distribution of tadpoles of three endemic Nyctibatrachus species (Nyctibatrachidae) from the Western Ghats, India

Amphibians show a high amount of species richness and endemism. Such diversity can be attributed to their microenvironment as amphibians display fine-scale heterogeneity depending on the microhabitats they inhabit. Tadpoles are considered as good indicators for understanding microhabitat-species association as they reflect the breeding sites and signify species survival potential. In this study, we assessed the microhabitat factors influencing the distribution of tadpoles of three endemic frogs of the genus Nyctibatrachus namely N. jog, N. kempholeyensis, and N. kumbara from central Western Ghats, India.  Forty-three streams were sampled from three river basins and stream characteristics were analysed using Generalized Linear Models. The results indicate that the tadpoles show specific microhabitat preferences and spatial niche partitioning. Among microhabitat variables, the slope significantly influenced the distribution of tadpoles of N. jog and N. kempholeyensis. The tadpoles of N. j...