Ghatixalus
| Ghatixalus | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Ghatixalus variabilis | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | "Amphibia" (wide sense) |
| Order: | Anura |
| Family: | Rhacophoridae |
| Subfamily: | Rhacophorinae |
| Genus: | Ghatixalus Biju, Roelants, and Bossuyt, 2008[1] |
| Type species | |
| Polypedates variabilis Jerdon, 1854 | |
| Species | |
|
2, see text. | |
Ghatixalus is a genus of frogs in the family Rhacophoridae, subfamily Rhacophorinae. They are endemic to the Western Ghats of southern India. They are the sister taxon to a larger clade consisting of Chiromantis, Feihyla, Taruga, Polypedates, and Rhacophorus.[2][3] The name of the genus combines words "Ghats" and "Ixalus". The former refers to the Western Ghats, and the latter to now-abandoned genus name that lives as the suffix in many generic names for rhacophorid frogs.[1]
Description
Ghatixalus are medium-sized frogs with adult males measuring 39–51 mm (1.5–2.0 in) and females 58–67 mm (2.3–2.6 in) adults (male SVL 38.8–51.3 mm, female 58.1–66.7 mm) in snout-vent length. They have a dorsal color pattern with dark brown prominent blotches. Eggs develop in foam nests followed by a free-swimming tadpole stage. Their habitat is associated with mountain streams throughout their life cycle.[1][3]
Species
There are only 2 recognized species in the genus Ghatixalus:[2]
- Ghatixalus asterops Biju, Roelants, and Bossuyt, 2008
- Ghatixalus variabilis (Jerdon, 1854)
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 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.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Frost, Darrel R. (2013). "Ghatixalus Biju, Roelants, and Bossuyt, 2008". Amphibian Species of the World 5.6, an Online Reference. American Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 16 November 2013.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Li, Jiatang; Dingqi Rao, Robert W. Murphy, Yaping Zhang (2011). "The systematic status of rhacophorid frogs". Asian Herpetological Research 2: 1–11. doi:10.3724/SP.J.1245.2011.00001.