Most people have seen a frog or toad at least once - even if they have lived their entire lives in a big city. And most have probably even picked up and played with tadpoles in a pond as children. Yet, most people could name a lot more facts about charismatic species like tigers or whale sharks than about amphibians!

India is a fascinating destination for amphibian biologists because of the sheer diversity of amphibians we have in our forests and wetlands. This talk will focus on understanding more about these little known creatures - from how amphibians are adapted to living in water and land, to how they communicate with each other, and what role they play in our lives and the environment.

About the speaker

Dr. Vishnupriya Sankararaman works as a scientist at Wildlife Conservation Society - India. In 2022, she earned her PhD in Ecology from Penn State University, focusing on amphibian community structure in agroforest landscapes of the Western Ghats. She uses quantitative approaches to study amphibian populations and communities and find better conservation strategies for these species.

This talk is followed by a walk looking for frogs in our vicinity -  we may be witness to the secret lives of amphibians.

Prep: Please bring a torch with you, ideally a head torch, for the walk.