Tadpoles of E. cyanophlyctis were collected from a temporary
rain-fed pond near the University campus. Pesticide residue analysis
could not be done in the pond water due to logistic reasons.
However, the collection site is located uphill from the nearby agricultural
land. Since aerial pesticide application is not practiced in
the region, the area was not influenced by direct input of pesticides
from spraying. The tadpoles were acclimated to laboratory
conditions in aged well water in polypropylene containers. Subsequently
we screened to identify and separate tadpoles belonging
to Gosner 26–30 stages (Gosner, 1960). This period corresponds
to intense haematopoiesis with active cell division in the circulating
blood. The remaining larvae were released at the site of
collection. The experiments were performed at 26 ± 1 ◦C and 12 h
light and dark cycles. The tadpoles were fed with crushed fish food
pellets (Amrit Feeds, Kolkata, India) ad libitum. For all of the experiments,
animal care was in accordance with institutional ethical
guidelines.