The fungoid frog or Malabar Hills frog (Hydrophylax malabaricus) is a colourful frog found on the forest floor and lower vegetation in the Western Ghats in south-western India from Bombay to Kerala. It is very similar to another species with which it overlaps partly in range, Hydrophylax bahuvistara which extends further into parts of central India.[1][2][3] Although restricted in range within peninsular India, they are of least conservation concern.[1] Their upper parts vary in colour from brownish-red to bright crimson.
Fungoid frog | |
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Scientific classification ![]() | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Amphibia |
Order: | Anura |
Family: | Ranidae |
Genus: | Hydrophylax |
Species: | H. malabaricus
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Binomial name | |
Hydrophylax malabaricus (Tschudi, 1838)
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Synonyms[2] | |
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![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3b/The_Fungoid_Frog_%28Hylarana_malabarica%29.jpg/220px-The_Fungoid_Frog_%28Hylarana_malabarica%29.jpg)
Description
editThis section may be too technical for most readers to understand.(March 2015) |
Vomerine teeth in two oval oblique groups between the choanae. Head moderate, depressed; snout moderate, hardly as long as the diameter of the orbit, subacuminate, moderately prominent; loreal region concave; nostril nearer to the end of the snout than to the eye; interorbital space rather narrower than the upper eyelid; tympanum very distinct, nearly as large as the eye. fingers moderate, first extending beyond second; toes rather short, half webbed : tips of fingers and toes swollen; subarticular tubercles very strong; inner metatarsal tubercle oval, blunt; a large rounded tubercle at the base of the fourth toe; no tarsal fold. The tibio-tarsal articulation reaches the tympanum or the eye. Skin finely granulate above; a broad, not very prominent glandular lateral fold; a strong glandular fold from below the eye to the shoulder, followed by one or two glandules. Head and body bright crimson above, blackish brown on the sides; back sometimes with a few small black spots; upper lip, and a series of spots on the flank, white; limbs blackish brown above, spotted and marbled with pale brown and while; beneath uniform white, or marbled brown and white.[4]
References
edit- ^ a b c Biju, S.D.; Dutta, Sushil; Inger, Robert (2016) [errata version of 2004 assessment]. "Hydrophylax malabaricus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2004: e.T58657A89369722. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2004.RLTS.T58657A11821459.en. Database entry includes a range map and justification for why this species is of least concern
- ^ a b Frost, Darrel R. (2013). "Hylarana malabarica (Tschudi, 1838)". Amphibian Species of the World 5.6, an Online Reference. American Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 12 July 2013.
- ^ Padhye, Anand D.; Jadhav, Anushree; Modak, Nikhil; Nameer, P.O.; Dahanukar, Neelesh (2015). "Hydrophylax bahuvistara, a new species of fungoid frog (Amphibia: Ranidae) from peninsular India". Journal of Threatened Taxa. 7 (11): 7744–7760. doi:10.11609/JoTT.o4252.7744-60. ISSN 0974-7893.
- ^ Boulenger, G. A. (1890) The Fauna of British India: Reptilia and Batrachia