A bibliographic review of anuran acoustic research in India and future directions

India, a tropical megadiverse country, hosts 415 anuran species, but fewer than 45% have been acoustically characterised. Phonetic descriptions of anuran calls date back to prehistoric times; systematic studies began only in 1977. In this study, we review 121 publications on anuran acoustics in India, covering 184 anuran species between 1977 and 2024. We identified ambiguities in call parameters, taxonomy and geographic distribution, leading to erroneous descriptions in 20 publications. Species identification and taxonomy were the primary drivers of anuran acoustic research in India. We highlight the scope for further research along with protocols for acoustic data collection, storage and analysis.