Encounter - The Blue-eyed Bush Frog [The Green Ogre]

On a dark, wet monsoon night in Agumbe we met the very kissable blue-eyed prince of frogs

A Blue-eyed Bush Frog vocalising with its throat sac puffed out

If the name Philautus neelanethrus does not suggest a blue-blooded prince to you, an audience with the aforesaid certainly will, assuming that you will be granted one. The Blue-eyed Bush Frog inhabits the deep, dense evergreen rainforests of the Western Ghats and was described to science as recently as 2007 from the Sharavathi Valley.

This diminutive frog, less than 3 cm long, acquires a yellow colouration during the breeding season (though in the picture it appears redder) and has a beautiful golden eye with a horizontal pupil, completely encircled by an iridescent blue ring. It owes its name to this lovely blue eye-ring. It is usually found on mid-height bushes perched on leaves. In the non-breeding season, its colour is creamy.

Our rendezvous with the blue-eyed prince occurred on a wet, rainy night at the Agumbe Rainforest Research Station. We heard the call — one among many enigmatic mating croaks that filled up the inky monsoon night: treek tink-tink-tink. Once located, like a true celebrity, it seemed uncomfortable with the attention and stopped calling.

After a short break, it called again and we scrambled for a view. I was lucky to get this one shot of the prince before being banished from his august presence.

Text and photo by Sahastrarashmi

Excellent pictures of this frog can be viewed at AMOGHAVARSHA and Sharath’s websites.

This post is the first of our Agumbe Diaries. Look out for more about monsoon in the rainforest.

About
Latest Posts

Sahastra Rashmi

Traveller, photographer, art connoisseur, trekking enthusiast, and master trip planner, Sahastrarashmi (SR or Sahastra to his friends) is on a relentless quest for the story of life. An engineer from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, he lives in the former French enclave of Pondicherry.
As a photographer, he is interested in the relationship of humans to their sense of sacred. He has photographed the riverfront of Varanasi for the past 20 years and has extensively covered Kumbha Melas at Prayag and Ujjain. His work has been published in the acclaimed photo magazine, LensWork. He is on a mission to introduce the uninitiated to the glory of the Himalaya and many adventure-lovers have enjoyed their first experience of a Himalayan trek with him.

Latest posts by Sahastra Rashmi (see all)

Trekking with Griffons: Dodi Tal via Darwa Pass - April 17, 2025
Encounter: The Sacred Grove at Oorani - November 28, 2012
Encounter: Rhododendron, sentinel of the highlands - October 7, 2012

Author

Sahastra Rashmi

Traveller, photographer, art connoisseur, trekking enthusiast, and master trip planner, Sahastrarashmi (SR or Sahastra to his friends) is on a relentless quest for the story of life. An engineer from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, he lives in the former French enclave of Pondicherry.

As a photographer, he is interested in the relationship of humans to their sense of sacred. He has photographed the riverfront of Varanasi for the past 20 years and has extensively covered Kumbha Melas at Prayag and Ujjain. His work has been published in the acclaimed photo magazine, LensWork. He is on a mission to introduce the uninitiated to the glory of the Himalaya and many adventure-lovers have enjoyed their first experience of a Himalayan trek with him.
Related Posts:
View all posts