Studies show that frogs and toads cannot survive increased exposure to UV light. Bivash Pandav, herpetologist at WII, says increased UV radiations could be the cause of the huge fall in amphibian population in the Kargil area of Jammu and Kashmir. Sanjay Molur concurs, though both point out that studies are yet to be conducted to confirm this. The study of amphibians in India is, relatively, still in infancy. Efforts like those by the South Asian chapter of the Declining Amphibian Population Task Force are helpful to piece together a larger picture.
Individuals do carry out research across the country, finding nuggets of information here and there.
A prudent combination of studies, inventories and systematic surveys, says Molur, is the need of the hour. There is a lot that needs to be done or the toads will no more be recalled in the myths of tomorrow as the harbingers of monsoon.