Biology:Raorchestes tinniens

From HandWiki
Revision as of 05:51, 13 February 2024 by Scavis2 (talk | contribs) (simplify)
(diff) ← Older revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)
Short description: Species of frog

Raorchestes tinniens
Davidraju img f5.jpg
Raorchestes tinniens
Scientific classification edit
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Rhacophoridae
Genus: Raorchestes
Species:
R. tinniens
Binomial name
Raorchestes tinniens
(Jerdon, 1853)
Synonyms[2]
  • Phyllomedusa ? tinniens Jerdon, 1853
  • — Jerdon, 1870 — Li et al., 2009
  • Günther, 1876 Philautus melanensis
  • Raorchestes tinniens Rao, 1937
  • Philautus (Philautus) tinniens — Biju et al., 2010
  • Ixalus punctatus Ixalus tinniens
  • — Bossuyt and Dubois, 2001 Anderson, 1871
  • Philautus punctatus Pseudophilautus tinniens
  • — Boulenger, 1890 Ixalus montanus

Raorchestes tinniens, also known as the spotted bush frog, black bush frog, and Rao's bubble-nest frog (the latter two referring to species now considered junior synonyms of R. tinniens), is a species of frog in the family Rhacophoridae. It is endemic to the Nilgiri Hills, a part of the Western Ghats, in Tamil Nadu and Kerala, southern India .[2] It has a rather complicated taxonomic history, and there is still an open issue whether Ixalus montanus Günther, 1876 from Kudremukh (Karnataka), now in synonymy with Raorchestes tinniens, is indeed a valid species.[3]

Description

Male Raorchestes tinniens measure about 18–22 mm (0.71–0.87 in) in snout-vent length of and females 25–28 mm (0.98–1.10 in). Dorsum is grey–brown and iris is dark-blackish brown. Flanks and groin are dark-brownish black, and belly is coarsely granular. "Ixalus montanus" from Kudremukh are larger, mean size for males and females being 29 mm (1.1 in) and 36 mm (1.4 in), respectively. They are also yellowish brown (instead dark brown) in their flanks and groin.[3]

Distribution and habitat

Raorchestes tinniens is known from the Nilgiri Hills and surroundings. It is a terrestrial species found on the ground or low in the vegetation. It is associated with montane tropical moist evergreen forests, but can also be found in grasslands and modified areas close to forests.[1][3] It is a common species within its distribution area, but it is threatened by habitat loss and believed to be declining.[1] Scientists have seen it between 1700 and 2000 meters above sea level.[2][4]

Reproduction

Males call even during the daytime. Raorchestes tinniens has direct development[3] (i.e., there is no free-living larval stage[5]). Eggs are laid in a hole in a ground. Froglets hatch after about 19 days.[3]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 Biju, S.D.; Dasaramji Buddhe, G.; Dutta, S.; Vasudevan, K.; Srinivasulu, C.; Vijayakumar, S.P. (2004). "Raorchestes tinniens". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2004: e.T58926A86247871. https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/58926/86247871. 
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 Frost, Darrel R. (2020). "Raorchestes tinniens (Jerdon, 1854)". Amphibian Species of the World: An Online Reference. Version 6.1 (American Museum of Natural History). doi:10.5531/db.vz.0001. https://amphibiansoftheworld.amnh.org/Amphibia/Anura/Rhacophoridae/Rhacophorinae/Raorchestes/Raorchestes-tinniens. Retrieved 21 August 2020. 
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Biju, S. D.; Bossuyt, F. (2009). "Systematics and phylogeny of Philautus Gistel, 1848 (Anura, Rhacophoridae) in the Western Ghats of India, with descriptions of 12 new species". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 155 (2): 374–444. doi:10.1111/j.1096-3642.2008.00466.x. 
  4. "Raorchestes tinniens (Jerdon, 1853)". University of California, Berkeley. https://amphibiaweb.org/species/6078. 
  5. Vitt, Laurie J.; Caldwell, Janalee P. (2014). Herpetology: An Introductory Biology of Amphibians and Reptiles (4th ed.). Academic Press. p. 166. 

External links

Wikidata ☰ Q28062029 entry