Karnataka Declares Malabar Tree Toad as Its State Amphibian

Karnataka has become the first Indian state to officially declare its state amphibian. The Malabar Tree Toad(Pedostibes tuberculosus) or ‘Malenadina Mara Gantikappe’ was declared as the state amphibian. The declaration was signed by the Karnataka Forest, Ecology and Environment Department on the 27th October 2026 after being declared as the state amphibian in May during the celebration of International Biodiversity Day. This species is native to the Western Ghats and is an indicator species for the health of the evergreen forests.

Malabar Tree Toad

Scientific Name – Pedostibes tuberculosus
Common Name – Malabar Tree Toad
Local Name – Malenadina Mara Gantikappe
Family – Bufonidae
Order – Anura

The Malabar Tree Toad is a rare tree dwelling amphibian that is native to the wet evergreen forests in the Western Ghats. It is native to India and has been found in Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu. Due to its tree dwelling nature it is an ecologically important species.

Key Features

First described in 1876
Was rediscovered in 1980 in Ponmudi, Kerala. It was then found in Karnataka in 2005.
Native to wet evergreen forests and forest vegetation in the Western Ghats.
Breeds mainly between March and June.
An indicator species for the health of evergreen forest ecosystems.
Can climb trees unlike most toads that are well known.

Conservation Status

The Malabar Tree Toad is listed under Schedule II of the Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972.

Schedule 11 should be Schedule II.

It has a Least Concern (LC) conservation status according to the IUCN Red List (2020). However, it is reported to have a decreasing population trend.

Some sources report this species as endangered however it has a Least Concern status according to the IUCN globally.

Other State Symbols of Karnataka

Karnataka has a number of official state symbols.

State Symbol	Name
State Animal	Asian Elephant
State Tree	Sandalwood
State Bird	Indian Roller
State Butterfly	Southern Birdwing
State Flower	Lotus
State Fish	Carnatic Carp
State Fruit	Mango
State Amphibian	Malabar Tree Toad

The state also announced their state insect as Apis cerana (Asiatic honeybee) during the biodiversity celebrations in May 2026.

Benefits of Declaring this Species

This species will now have more recognition as it is native to the Western Ghats. Being recognised as a state symbol can help raise awareness for conserving this species. It can also increase awareness of the biodiversity in this area. The species is an indicator species for evergreen forest ecosystems.

This announcement puts the spotlight on the Western Ghats, one of the worlds major biodiversity hotspots. This area is infamous for having high numbers of endemic plant and animal species.