Take a walk around Narasipura 2 Lake in the late evening and you will not miss hearing the brilliant Narasipura Amphibian Harmonic Orchestra! Yes, with the recent rains, the frogs and toads are out and about. While the “Life Cycle of the Frog” is commonly taught in school, how many of us actually know beyond the spawn, the tadpole and its shrinking tail?
An important part of the food chain, frogs and toads are considered to be very good environmental indicators. This means that having frogs and toads in an area tells us that the environment is healthy for them, which means it is favourable for humans too.
Six Common Indian Toads (Duttaphrynus melanostictus) at Puttenahalli Lake (Pic: Arathi Manay)
We are lucky to have, right in Bangalore, an expert batrachologist (yes, that’s what amphibian experts are called) Dr Gururaja who lives in the vicinity of Narasipura Lake, Vidyaranyapura. Dr Gururaja works at IISc, at the Center for infrastructure, Sustainable Transportation and Urban Planning (CiSTUP). He has authored several papers and books on amphibians, one of the latest being “Pictorial Guide to Frogs and Toads of the Western Ghats”, published by Gubbi Labs. More about Dr Gururuja can be seen on his website here.
Here is an opportunity to get to know more about amphibians from the expert himself! Dr Gururaja will be conducting an hour long session.
Date: Saturday, 21st June, 2014
Time: 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Place: JustBooks, Vidyaranyapura
To register for the session please call/e-mail JustBooks, Vidyaranyapura
Phone: 23644501
Email: Frontoffice Vidyaranyapura <frontoffice@vrp.justbooksclc.com>
This is open to all age groups, and there is no entry fee. Also, you do not have to be a member of JustBooks. However the place can accommodate only about 30-35 people. Hence, the registration and seating will be on first-come-first-serve basis.
At the end of this session, those interested can register for an Amphibian Awareness Walk by Dr Gururaja, scheduled to be held around Narasipura Lake next weekend.