This book: “The Amphibians of Bhutan” is all about the frogs, toads, salamander, and the obscure and enigmatic caecilians that occur in Bhutan. Of the more than 8,000 species of amphibians currently known worldwide, only 80 anurans, a single species of salamander (Caudata), and at least two undescribed caecilians (Gymnophiona) are recorded in Bhutan. This number is likely far less than accurate since there have been no serious attempts to document this group of animals by researchers or institutions, due to the fact that these moist-skinned animals, who use both land and water to complete their life cycle, do not attract funds for researchers and institutions to generate serious research. Species presented in this primer are thus through the interest of a few of us devoted, like-minded individuals who believe that these animals are extremely important to the life-support system for the Earth to survive.
This work is a result of the collection of information through an online group on the amphibians and reptiles of Bhutan created to educate the public about these neglected groups of animals. I wish to encourage more individuals to value and conserve these diverse and useful creatures. This book is not intended to replace formal batrachology courses nor is it designed for academic purposes. The goal of this book is to strengthen and facilitate connections between amphibians and the people who have a genuine or even a casual interest about the natural history of these interesting animals. And while this book touches on some academic aspects, it intentionally is more conceptual than statistical. For the average reader, common names have been provided while scientists and researchers must look at this work as something in between the core and the casual science. There are several new country records and a few undescribed and unknown species documented for the country (for further work), otherwise, nothing herein is ecologically or biologically new except for those few which are undescribed and unknown. I also freely admit that I have used all the information made available from all forms of media and from many individual citizen scientists and field foresters. In writing this manuscript, I have consulted numerous experts and sought their advice making the MS more than peer reviewed. But we humans all make mistakes – so, if you notice any, please do let me know. Being an amateur, it is even more susceptible to error. Therefore, I would like to suggest to my readers to view my primer less as a book and more as a resource that has its own style and character.
I did not initially think of writing a book; I thought of writing handouts that people can use and share to spread the word about amphibians being incredibly awesome. As such, you will see some vital facts repeated across the various topics, a combination of formal and casual fundamentals, and possibly other characters that might be considered mistakes in other settings.
I hope that book enthusiasts can take this work for what it is and not find its weaknesses too off-putting. This primer may benefit many interested English-speaking readers but I must confess that the examples and photographs are mostly those from Bhutan, not just to do justice to the title of the book but because I am one of those rare Bhutanese who takes batrachology very seriously. Consequently, the species in this primer are those that I am most familiar with, and as a result, not all the amphibian species occurring in Bhutan are covered. Hopefully, readers in other areas of the world can infer from the context which information may be applicable to their regions. Where an amphibian that is endemic to Bhutan appears as an example, there is likely a species which fills a similar ecological niche in your region, and a nominal amount of research should tell how the lesson might apply to your locality.
I wish to restrict the use of any of this information in any way unethical. So please contact me before doing so. I will almost certainly grant permission, provided you are using this material for educational purposes and public awareness and not for any political or commercial mileage. I have tried to be simple and straightforward, but this book does cover biological subject matter, and occasionally being exposed to unfamiliar scientific terms is a part of learning about the natural world. There is a glossary of herpetological terms available for you to refer to at the end of the book. I sincerely hope you enjoy my work!
Before concluding, I wish to make mention about our only endemic amphibian, the Bhutan Cat-eyed Toad, Scutiger bhutanensis. We have an obligation to investigate this species which was described at the turn of the century by scientists from Europe because we were not confident enough about its exact population or even its distribution. It is time that we take the future of these amphibians seriously and protect them using relevant research, funds and legislations. Otherwise, Bhutan might lose some species even before they have been described. It wasn’t too long ago that the endangered Gharial (Gavialis gangeticus) was extirpated from the Manas River in southern Bhutan. Let’s not allow history to repeat itself and let’s do our best to protect all animals, small or large that live in Bhutan. We must allow their survival so that our future generations may enjoy them as well. Happy reading!
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The number of undescribed Minervarya species makes Bhutan a special place for further research.
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