States' News

State Amphibian of Karnataka

November 10 , 2026 15 hrs 0 min 36 0

Karnataka became the first state in India to officially declare a State Amphibian, recognising the Malabar Tree Toad as its State Amphibian through a government order.
Scientific name: Pedostibes tuberculosus; it is locally known as Malenadina Mara Gantikappe and popularly called Petu.
It is endemic to the Western Ghats of India and mainly lives in evergreen forests, trees and shrubs.
It acts as an indicator species to assess the ecological health of evergreen forests.
Karnataka's other state symbols include the Asian Elephant (animal), Indian Roller (bird), Sandalwood (tree), Lotus (flower), Southern Birdwing (butterfly), Carnatic Carp (fish) and Mango (fruit).
In May 2026, Karnataka also designated the Asiatic Honeybee (Apis cerana) as its State Honeybee for its role in pollination and agricultural productivity.