Ramanella montana

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Jerdon's Narrow mouthed Frog
Jerdon's Narrow mouthed Frog
Jerdon's Narrow mouthed Frog
Conservation status
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Microhylidae
Genus: Ramanella
Species: R. montana
Binomial name
Ramanella montana

Jerdon's Narrow mouthed Frog (Ramanella montana) is a species of Microhylid frog found in Southern India.

[edit] Description

The frogs of the genus Ramanella are small and characteristically have discs on their fingers but lack them on the toes. The typical habitat in which this frog is found are tree holes in the rainy season in moist deciduous forest to Evergreen forest. They have smooth but bumpy skin. The upper side is brown with dark spots. The snout to vent length is 34-36mm. Males have a single subgular vocal sac that is expanded to a sphere when they call. They call after heavy rains during June or July. They begin calling after sunset and continue all night while the males float on water in small ponds. Females approach calling males and they display axillary amplexus during mating.[1] They aestivate in summer.[2]

[edit] Distribution

The distribution of this frog is not fully known but is found in most of the Western Ghats. This species is found in Moist deciduous forest, Semi-evergreen forest and Evergreen forest. Rain-water filled tree holes are the favoured microhabitat of these frogs.

The egg masses of most Indian microhylids float on the water but those of R. montana are attached to the tree trunk just above water level or placed on the surface of a floating leaf.[3]

[edit] References

  1. ^ G. G. Kadadevaru, R. D. Kanamadi and Hans Schneider (1998) Mating call of the burrowing frog, Ramanella montana (Jerdon, 1859). J. Adv. Zool. 1998: 19(2) : 91-93 PDF
  2. ^ McCann, C. 1946. Aestivation of the frog Ramanella montana (Jerdon). J. Bombay. Nat. Hist. Soc., 404-406.
  3. ^ Savitha N. Krishna, Sharath B. Krishna and K. K. Vijayalaxmi (2004) Breeding ecology of a rare microhylid, Ramanella montana, in the forests of Western Ghats, India. Current Science 87(1):80-82 PDF