Fun Purple Frog Facts For Kids

Purple frogs (family nasikabatrachidae), commonly known as pignose frogs, are the latest addition to the frog family, and are considered to be a new frog. They were first discovered in 2003 by S.D. Biju from Tropical Botanical Garden and Research Institute which is located in Palode, India. They are one of the rarest species of nasikabatrachidae. These species are only restricted to the Western Ghats of India and are believed to have been evolving for around a hundred million years. Purple frogs are also amongst the most endangered species of India that are not found anywhere else. This amphibian lives underground for most of their life, and only comes out for a few days throughout monsoon season in order to mate. As a result, it is very uncommon to spot them in nature.

Reproduction of this species is very slow, as females tend to reproduce a lot slower than males. Being a more recently discovered species, many facts about purple frogs are still unknown. After reading about this new amphibian, you may also take a look at red-eyed tree frog facts and pacman frog facts.

What type of animal is a purple frog?

Purple frogs (Nasikabatrachus sahyadrensis) are a recently discovered species of frog that can be found in the Western Ghats of India. They stay underground throughout their lifetime and usually only come out for two to three weeks during monsoon season in order to mate.

What class of animal does a purple frog belong to?

This shiny purple frog belongs to the class of amphibians. These animals are known for their unique characteristics and bodily features.

How many purple frogs are there in the world?

These frogs have only recently been discovered, and around 135 purple frogs have been recorded since their discovery. This animal is amongst the most Endangered species that are found in nature. A reason that this species is thought to be Endangered is due to the ratio between the male and female frogs. Only three purple frogs that have been recorded are females, which means that they cannot reproduce at a rate fast enough to keep the population growing.

Where do purple frogs live?

This black and purple frog is known to exist in wetlands, and are recently very restricted to Nilgiris and Western Ghats of India. They are found in various areas and locations of Kerala along with a specific area of Tamil Nadu.

What is a purple frog's habitat?

Purple frogs were recently discovered in India, and are amongst other burrow-dwelling frogs that remain underground throughout their life. They only leave their underground burrows during monsoon and mating season. Purple frogs spend most of their life underground, in areas that have damp, loose and well aerated soil that is close to water sources such as ponds, streams or ditches. These animals prefer these areas and soil, as it makes it easier for adult purple frogs to come out during monsoon season to lay eggs in the water bodies. Indian purple frogs can be found in Western Ghats and the Nilgiri hills of India.

Who do purple frogs live with?

There is no information available regarding the living pattern of Indian purple frogs. These animals are believed to live individually in different areas in the Western Ghats of India. Their underground lifestyle makes them even more difficult to study and explore.

How long does a purple frog live?

There is no information available regarding the life span of these very rare purple frogs. Although, they are thought to have a low life expectancy due to threats of habitat loss, deforestation and human consumption by tribal members and local communities.

How do they reproduce?

As purple frogs are amongst the most recently discovered species in India, very little is known about these frogs. All scientists have been able to gauge about their reproduction habits is that they require very specific breeding sites. Although some of their breeding sites are protected by authorities, most of them have been damaged due to the construction of dams that are used to control water flow during monsoons. Female purple frogs are known to lay eggs near water bodies. They can lay as many as 3,000 eggs at once. These eggs turn into purple frog tadpoles that turn into frogs after 100 days.

What is their conservation status?

Purple frogs are found in Nillgiris and Western Ghats of India, and have been acknowledged and listed as very rare creatures. They are listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red list, and are thought to be facing the threat of Extinction due to habitat loss, deforestation and human encroachment along with consumption of these species by local communities.

What do purple frogs look like?

Purple frogs are weird looking creatures who are also known as pig-nosed frogs. Their color ranges from dark purple to gray with a really small head and pointed snout. Purple frogs have a huge bloated body accompanied by short, stout limbs. Their short, stout limbs are very muscular, and they have hard palms which help them to dig underground in search of food. They also have unusually short hind legs when compared to their big bloated body.  These legs do not allow them to leap from one place to another, which is a characteristic feature of other frog species.

*We've been unable to source images of Purple Frog and have used images of a common frog instead. If you are able to provide us with a royalty-free image of a Purple Frog, we would be happy to credit you. Please contact us at [email protected].

How cute are they?

For some, these frogs may appear cute but not everyone would consider them as cute animals. Frogs aren’t seen as attractive to the masses and they are best kept in an environment that is suitable for them.

How do they communicate?

Purple frogs are known to communicate through use of harsh calls. These calls are said to sound similar to chickens.

How big is a purple frog?

Purple frogs are not too big, and they grow to be around the size of 2.5-3.6 in (6-9 cm) with a weight of 0.35-0.38 lb (0.1 kg).

How far can a purple frog leap?

Purple frogs are one of the weirdest looking species of frogs, they range in color from purple to gray. They are also very different from other species of frogs as they have really short yet muscular hind legs which, unlike other species of frogs, makes it impossible for them to leap or jump with their heavy, bloated bodies. They also are fossilized frogs that rarely come out of their burrows.

How much does a purple frog weigh?

Purple frogs have not been studied much due to their rarity and burrowed lifestyle. The estimated weight of these frogs is around 0.35-0.38 lb (0.1 kg).

What are the male and female names of the species?

There are no specific names given to the male and female species of purple frogs. They are generally regarded as male purple frog and female purple frog.

What would you call a baby purple frog?

Baby purple frogs are called tadpoles. The babies, or young, of purple frogs feed on algae covered stones and other small creatures.

What do they eat?

As we have already learned, purple frogs were not discovered too long ago, and due to their complicated lifestyle they are even more difficult to study. There is very basic information available regarding their food habits, but it can be said that adult purple frogs primarily feed on termites and other small invertebrates that are found in their habitat and near water bodies.

There is almost no information available regarding the diet of purple frogs. Adult purple frogs are known to eat termites and other small invertebrates that are easily available near their surrounding habitat. While the tadpoles of purple frogs are known to cling themselves to algae covered stone in water bodies, and suck off the algae using their sucker shaped mouths. Unlike other burrowing frogs, they often eat creatures that are found underground without coming out to eat using their special buccal groove and tongue.

Are they poisonous?

No, purple frogs are not at all dangerous or poisonous. In fact, they have been consumed by local communities and tribes since 1918, and even adults are used for consumption these days due to their medical enrichment. Locals have also been known to harvest these purple frogs for food over the years.

Would they make a good pet?

As we have already seen, purple frogs are known to have a total population of around 135 which might decrease or increase regularly. They also are one of the rarest species found around the world. With these frogs being listed as an Endangered species, they are prohibited from being kept as pets. In fact, they are classed as pets that need urgent conservation efforts.

Did you know...

Purple frogs are also recorded, or found, in protected areas of Silent Valley National Park, Periyar Tiger Reserve and Annamalai Tiger Reserve. These purple frogs prefer really damp, loose and aerated soil areas that have canopy covers, and exist in areas of low elevation. Purple frogs have flattened bodies that help them to cling onto submerged rocks in case of strong currents. They are also pig-nosed, giving them a distinct physical appearance.

When was the purple frog discovered?

They were discovered by S.D. Biju in the Idukki district of Kerala. Purple frogs are one species of burrowing frogs, and have been long overlooked until their discovery in 2003. They already had various local names and were a known species among the local communities. Local communities told researchers that the babies, or tadpoles, of this species had long been consumed by locals, alongside adult purple frogs that had been used for medicinal purposes. In some local communities, they are also used for forming an amulet that is worn by children and believed to reduce the fear of storms. Although adult purple frogs were discovered in 2003, this species were recognized by their tadpoles which has been consumed by locals since 1918 and were recognized by C.R. Narayan Rao and Nelson Annandale.

What does the mouth of the Indian purple frog look like?

Indian purple frogs, or just purple frogs, are also called pig-nosed frogs due to the shape and structure of their mouth and nose. They have huge bodies with small hind legs and really small heads compared to their body size. Tadpoles, or babies, have specialized mouths that are sucker-like and are used to cling onto algae covered rocks when they are eating. They are known to use their long fluted tongue to catch termites and ants underground so as to avoid coming out of their burrows.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other amphibians including pool frog, or tree frog.

You can even occupy yourself at home by drawing one of our Purple Frog coloring pages.