Clinotarsus alticola

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Clinotarsus alticola
Clinotarsus alticola from Thailand.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Ranidae
Genus: Clinotarsus
Species:
C. alticola
Binomial name
Clinotarsus alticola
(Boulenger, 1882)
Synonyms
  • Hylorana pipiensJerdon, 1870
  • Rana alticolaBoulenger, 1882
  • Nasirana alticola(Boulenger, 1882)
  • Clinotarsus alticolus(misspelling)

Clinotarsus alticola [2] [3] is a species of frog in the family Ranidae. Common names for this species include: Assam Hills frog, Annandale's frog, pointed-headed frog, palebrown stream frog, hill frog, point-nosed frog, and high-altitude frog. It is found in Hills of Meghalaya and northeastern India (Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura, and West Bengal) to northern Bangladesh, possibly into Bhutan and Nepal. [4]

Contents

Habitat

Clinotarsus alticola inhabit evergreen forests near large streams (the habitat for their tadpoles) in hill areas, usually near waterfalls. [1]

Description

Clinotarsus alticola are sexually dimorphic: males are 32–47 mm (1.3–1.9 in) in snout–vent length and females 43–61 mm (1.7–2.4 in). The advertisement call of males is a bird-like "chirp". In breeding sites, males greatly outnumber females and attempt to dislodge one another from the backs of females. Outside the breeding season adult Clinotarsus alticola are rarely encountered. [5]

Tadpoles--notice the caudal ocellus--and newly metamorphosed juvenile Clinotarsus alticola.jpg
Tadpoles—notice the caudal ocellus—and newly metamorphosed juvenile

The tadpoles of Clinotarsus alticola are distinctive: they are large (up to 98 mm (3.9 in) in length), have many glands, and are black in colouration with red ocelli. The caudal ocellus is a unique feature among ranid tadpoles. Its colouration may be aposematic. [6]

References

  1. 1 2 Peter Paul van Dijk, Annemarie Ohler, Sushil Dutta, Sabitry Bordoloi, Sohrab Uddin Sarker, Mohini Mohan Borah (2004). "Clinotarsus alticola". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2004 e.T58540A11798892. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2004.RLTS.T58540A11798892.en . Retrieved 19 November 2021.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  2. "Catalogue of Life" . Retrieved March 27, 2012.
  3. "Encyclopedia of Life" . Retrieved March 27, 2012.
  4. "Clinotarsus alticola (Boulenger, 1882)".
  5. Sailo, S. (2010). Studies on the ecology and biology of Rana alticola Boulenger (PhD thesis). Shillong: North-Eastern Hill University. p. 196. hdl:10603/5523.
  6. Grosjean, S; M Perez; A Ohler (2003). "Morphology and buccopharyngeal anatomy of the tadpole of Rana (Nasirana) alticola (Anura: Ranidae)" (PDF). Raffles Bulletin of Zoology. 51 (1): 101–107.