Samenvatting
Paddy rice cultivation transforms vast areas of tropical and subtropical landscapes into seasonally flooded wetland
habitats that provide critical breeding, foraging, and dispersal habitat for a diverse amphibian fauna. India's paddy fields,
covering approximately 44 million hectares, represent among the most extensive man-made wetland systems in the
world and support a substantial but poorly quantified amphibian biodiversity. This study presents a comprehensive
biodiversity assessment of amphibians across 38 paddy field sites in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Odisha, surveyed
using standardised visual encounter surveys and acoustic monitoring during flooded (Kharif) and fallow (Rabi) seasons
over two agricultural cycles (2019-2021). A total of 48 amphibian species from 8 families were documented, dominated
by Dicroglossidae (18 species) and Rhacophoridae (12 species). Species richness was significantly higher during the
flooded Kharif season (mean 28.4 species per site) than the dry Rabi season (mean 14.2 species). Pesticide application
frequency, water retention period, and distance from natural wetlands are the strongest predictors of amphibian species
richness. Six species represent new district records for Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Hoplobatrachus tigerinus and
Euphlyctis cyanophlyctis were the most abundant species across all sites. Eight species are assessed as IUCN
Threatened or Near Threatened, with pesticide exposure and habitat loss identified as primary threats. Management
recommendations for maintaining amphibian biodiversity in paddy agroecosystems are presented.