Taruga eques
| Taruga eques | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Amphibia |
| Order: | Anura |
| Family: | Rhacophoridae |
| Genus: | Taruga |
| Species: | T. eques |
| Binomial name | |
| Taruga eques (Günther, 1858) | |
 | |
| Synonyms[2] | |
|
Polypedates eques Günther, 1858 | |
Taruga eques (common names: Günther's whipping frog, montane hour-glass tree-frog) is a species of frog in the family Rhacophoridae. It is endemic to the central hills of Sri Lanka.[1][2][3]
Description
Adult males measure 33–43 mm (1.3–1.7 in) and females 59–71 mm (2.3–2.8 in) in snout–vent length. It resembles (and has been confused with) Taruga fastigo but has relatively shorter legs, narrower but longer head, an by the absence of the black line that connects the axilla and groin in Taruga fastigo, or that line being reduced to a band of blackish dots.[3]
Habitat and conservation
Taruga eques inhabits montane tropical moist forests at elevations of 1,200–2,135 m (3,937–7,005 ft) above sea level. It is both arboreal and terrestrial, being found in the canopy and on tree trunks as well as in grasses at the edge of ponds. The tadpoles occur in both permanent and seasonal ponds. It does not occur in modified habitats. While a common species, it is threatened by habitat loss caused by conversion of forest to agricultural use, forestry, fires, and infrastructure development. It is present in the Horton Plains National Park, Hakgala Strict Nature Reserve, and the Peak Wilderness Sanctuary.[1]
References
- 1 2 3 Manamendra-Arachchi, K.; de Silva, A. & Wickramasinghe, D. (2004). "Taruga eques". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN. 2004: e.T58946A11860421. Retrieved 4 June 2017.
- 1 2 Frost, Darrel R. (2017). "Taruga eques (Günther, 1858)". Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0. American Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 4 June 2017.
- 1 2 Manamendra-Arachchi, Kelum; Pethiyagoda, Rohan (2001). "Polypedates fastigo, a new tree frog (Ranidae: Rhacophorinae) from Sri Lanka" (PDF). Journal of South Asian Natural History. 5: 191–199.