Past, Present and Future Trends of Amphibian Species Discovery Pattern in India

India is a mega diverse country, hosts four biodiversity hotspots sheltering 7 to 8 % of the global species diversity. Among the vertebrate fauna of India, amphibians represent the small vertebrate groups. On the evolutionary scale, among the fauna, amphibians are the first poikilothermic vertebrates to colonize the land. Amphibians are considered as the ecological indicators to define the pristineness of the landscape, these are the first vertebrates to get affected by the pollutants as well as climate change factors. To date, India is known to have a diverse amphibian fauna comprising 454 species, including 411 species of frogs and toads, two species of salamanders, and 41 species of caecilians. Of these, approximately 380 species have been described within the political boundaries of India, while around 74 species, described from neighboring countries, also have distribution limits that extend into India. The taxonomic documentation of Indian amphibians began in 1799 during the period of the East India Company rule. This study reviews the patterns of amphibian species documentation across four distinct historical periods: during the East India Company rule (1757-1858), the British rule of India (1858-1947), the post-independence period up to the year 2000 (1947-2000), and the new millennium (2001 onwards). Attempts are made here to show the chronological pattern of species discovery among the amphibians of India; species accumulation curves to understand the saturation of species discoveries among the amphibians of the country. Analyzing the past and present data, the results suggest that there are more chances for discovery of many more new species from the country in the near future.