Ghatixalus variabilis

Ghatixalus variabilis
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Rhacophoridae
Subfamily: Rhacophorinae
Genus: Ghatixalus
Species: G. variabilis
Binomial name
Ghatixalus variabilis
(Jerdon, 1854)
Synonyms

Polypedates variabilis Jerdon, 1854
Rhacophorus variabilis (Jerdon, 1854)
Polypedates pleurostictus Günther, 1864
Rhacophorus parkeri Ahl, 1927

Ghatixalus variabilis is a species of frog in the family Rhacophoridae. It is endemic to the Western Ghats of southern India.[2] It has a number of common names, including green tree frog,[2] though it is terrestrial rather than arboreal in its life style.[3]

Description

Male Ghatixalus variabilis grow to a snout-vent length of 41–51 mm (1.6–2.0 in) and females to about 67 mm (2.6 in). Males have nuptial spines. The colour is variable, even within a single location. The dorsum has a colour pattern characterized by prominent dark brown blotches.[3]

Ghatixalus variabilis build spherical foams nests that are suspended up to 3 m (9.8 ft) above the water. Tadpoles hatch within the foam and drop to the water after a few days.[3]

Illustration of Polypedates pleurostictus from Albert Günther's The Reptiles of British India where it was described as a new species in 1864.[4] A study published in 2001 considered it to be synonym of Ghatixalus variabilis, although another study published the same year doubted this. At present, it is treated as a synonym of G. variabilis.[2]

Habitat and distribution

Ghatixalus variabilis is only known from the Nilgiri hills (a part of the Western Ghats), Tamil Nadu, India. They are found in evergreen montane forest patches at high altitudes. They are only found very near mountain streams, either on ground or low in the vegetation. When disturbed they escape to the water.[1][3]

Their habitat is threatened by fragmentation due to agricultural and logging activities as well as rural and/or urban development.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Biju, S.D.; Dutta, S.; Vasudevan, K.; Srinivasulu, C.; Angulo, A. (2010). "Ghatixalus variabilis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN. 2010: e.T59027A11872030. Retrieved 3 October 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 Frost, Darrel R. (2016). "Ghatixalus variabilis (Jerdon, 1854)". Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0. American Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 3 October 2016.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Biju, S.; Roelants, K.; Bossuyt, F. (2008). "Phylogenetic position of the montane treefrog Polypedates variabilis Jerdon, 1853 (Anura: Rhacophoridae), and description of a related species". Organisms Diversity & Evolution. 8 (4): 267–276. doi:10.1016/j.ode.2007.11.004.
  4. ↑ Günther, Albert C. L. G. (1864). The Reptiles of British India. Ray Society (Series) No. 35. London: R. Hardwicke.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ghatixalus variabilis.
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 10/3/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.