Zakerana syhadrensis

Long-legged cricket frog
Conservation status

Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Dicroglossidae
Genus: Fejervarya
Species: F. syhadrensis
Binomial name
Fejervarya syhadrensis
(Annandale, 1919)
Synonyms

Rana limnocharis syhadrensis Annandale, 1919
Limnonectes syhadrensis (Annandale, 1919)
Fejervarya syhadrensis (Annandale, 1919)

Zakerana syhadrensis (common names: long-legged cricket frog, Syhadra frog, Bombay wart frog, and many others), is a frog species of the Dicroglossidae family and native to India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh. Zakerana syhadrensis from the Western Ghats in southern India and from Sri Lanka probably belong to one or two unnamed species.[2] It is the type species of genus Zakerana.[3] In view of its wide distribution, IUCN assessors listed it as "Least Concern" with a stable population trend in 2009.[1]

Description

The long-legged cricket frog is a small-sized frog. Females reach a snout–vent length (SVL) of 20.7–22.8 mm. Males are smaller with a SVL of 17.5–19.1 mm.[4]

Distribution and habitat

Long-legged cricket frogs are widely distributed over much of central northern India and western Peninsular India, Bangladesh, southern Nepal, from lower Punjab to Sindh in Pakistan, and found at elevations below 2,000 metres (6,600 ft).[1] In Nepal's Shivapuri Nagarjun National Park, 13 specimen were observed in the summer of 2009 within a distance of 50 metres (160 ft) from water bodies.[5]

Behaviour and ecology

During the breeding season, males emit advertisement calls, using a single subgular external vocal sac. They start calling after one or two heavy pre-monsoon or monsoon rains in April to June, and continue up to the end of the rainy season in September to October. They call mainly during the night beginning after dusk and continue until the early morning of the following day, preferably sitting in temporary shallow water pools under partly submerged grass or paddy. They call in chorus but maintain a distance of 0.5 to 1 m to each other. Their calls are antiphonal between the two nearest calling males and consist of a series of pulse groups varying per call between 7 and 28.[4]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 Dutta, S., Sengupta, S., Uddin Sarker, S., Sharif Khan, M. (2009). "Zakerana syhadrensis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2013.2. International Union for Conservation of Nature. Retrieved 6 February 2014.
  2. Frost, Darrel R. (2014). "Zakerana syhadrensis (Annandale, 1919)". Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0. American Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 6 February 2014.
  3. Frost, Darrel R. (2014). "Zakerana Howlader, 2011". Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0. American Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 6 February 2014.
  4. 4.0 4.1 Kadadevaru, G.G.; Kanamadi, R.D.; Schneider, H. (2002). "Advertisement call, courtship and mating behaviour of the frog, Limnonectes syhadrensis from Western Ghats, India". Current Science 82 (5): 503–505.
  5. Aryal, P.C., Pokhrel, G.K., Shah, K.B., Rijal, B., Kharel, S.C., Paudel, E., Suwal, M.K., Dhamala, M.K., Bhurtel, B.P. (2010) Inventory of Herpetofaunal Diversity in Nagarjun Forest of Shivapuri Nagarjun National Park. Companions for Amphibians and Reptiles of Nepal, Kathmandu, Nepal. download pdf

External links