Why in news? According to the Wildlife Trust of India, elusive dancing frogs of the Western Ghats is one of the most threatened amphibian genus.

Highlights:

• Dancing frogs are the fifth most threatened genus in the world with 92 per cent of its species in the threatened category
• After the dancing frogs, the Nyctibatrachidae (night frogs) are the most threatened, with 83.9 per cent of its species threatened across the southern states of Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

About Dancing Frog 

• It is a newly described species of frogs in the family Micrixalidae.
• Frog is endemic to the Western Ghats in southern India, restricted to areas between the Palghat Gap and Shencottah Gap.
• The species was found to prefer habitats in areas with thick canopy cover of at least 70-80 per cent
• Dancing frog has a curious habit of waving their hind legs to defend their territory from intruding males during the breeding season to attract mates as well as ward off competition This act is called “foot flagging” and gives the species their name as Dancing frog