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Amphibians are considered as biological indicators for their susceptibility to even very small changes in the surrounding environment and their habitats typically spread across the interface between terrestrial and aquatic habitats. They are the only vertebrate group with dual life stages (i.e., tadpoles and adults) and perform vital ecological functions. Semi-permeable skin, anamniotic eggs and biphasic life style make them particularly vulnerable to changes and contamination of their habitats on land and in water. Habitat destruction and overexploitation are the major threat for amphibians, apart from Chytrid fungus and other synergistic effects of human induced changes.  Presence of a diverse population of amphibians in a region is indication of a healthy environment. They are being used as surrogates in conservation and management practices. Monitoring amphibian diversity and their distribution would provide insights to the prevailing conditions of an ecosystem and its health, which in turn helps in prioritizing the region for conservation and management action in the Western Ghats.

River basins/catchments are topographically and hydrologically well defined unit of space  and the present study has been  carried out in five river basins namely Sharavathi, Aghanashini, Bedti and Kali of Uttara Kannada district using amphibians as biological indicators to arrive at conservation priority regions in the district. Forty six species were recorded from the five river basins. Sharavathi river basin forms species rich and endemic rich, while Venkatapura is species poor and endemic poor. Kathalekan of Sharavathi river with 34 species of which 24 of are endemic, is an apt candidate for the status of heritage site of biological diversity as per biodiversity act 2002 (Chapter IX, Biodiversity heritage sites).