Raorchestes ochlandrae
Raorchestes ochlandrae (common name: Ochlandrae reed frog) is a species of shrub frog in the family Rhacophoridae.[2][3][4] It is endemic to the Western Ghats, India. This species of the oriental shrub frog was first described from Kakkayam Reserve Forest of Calicut district, Kerala state, in the southern Western Ghats in 2007 but has since been recorded at many other sites along the Western Ghats.[2] The specific name ochlandrae refers to microhabitat of the species, bamboo Ochlandra setigera.[2]
Raorchestes ochlandrae | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Amphibia |
Order: | Anura |
Family: | Rhacophoridae |
Genus: | Raorchestes |
Species: | R. ochlandrae |
Binomial name | |
Raorchestes ochlandrae (Gururaja, Dinesh, Palot, Radhakrishnan, and Ramachandra, 2007) | |
Synonyms | |
Philautus ochlandrae Gururaja, Dinesh, Palot, Radhakrishnan, and Ramachandra, 2007[2] |
Description
Males measure 22–26 mm (0.87–1.02 in) and females, based on only one measured specimen, 23 mm (0.91 in) in snout–vent length. The female was observed in amplexus and was larger than the male it was paired with.[2]
This species is distinguished from congeners by the combination of characters such as body small, elongate, squat and flat; head arched, wider than long; snout short rounded, equal or sub equal to diameter of eye; canthus rostralis rounded; tympanum indistinct but visible; eyes protruding, pupil with striking golden yellow dentition like marks; belly granular; vocal sac unpigmented; fleshy brown to cream yellow dorsum with two distinct golden yellow lateral bands bordered by dark brown from upper eyelid to the posterior part of flanks.[2]
Habitat and conservation
This species inhabits dense stands of the bamboo Ochlandra setigera, growing on forest edges and in more in open habitats. The frogs reside in the hollow tube of internodal region of bamboo about two to three metres above the ground.[1][2]
The species occurs in the Western Ghats mostly along forest streams and other sites where Ochlandra stands remain.[1]
References
- K.V. Gururaja (2008). "Raorchestes ochlandrae". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2008: e.T136074A4247839. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2008.RLTS.T136074A4247839.en. Retrieved 6 January 2018.
- Gururaja, K. V.; Dinesh, K. P.; Palot, M. J.; Radhakrishnan, C.; Ramachandra, T. V. (2007). "A new species of Philautus Gistel (Amphibia: Anura: Rhacophoridae) from southern Western Ghats, India". Zootaxa. 1621: 1–16.
- Frost, Darrel R. (2016). "Raorchestes ochlandrae (Gururaja, Dinesh, Palot, Radhakrishnan, and Ramachandra, 2007)". Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0. American Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 24 September 2016.
- "Raorchestes ochlandrae". AmphibiaWeb: Information on amphibian biology and conservation. [web application]. Berkeley, California: AmphibiaWeb. 2016. Retrieved 24 September 2016.
External links
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