Ranixalidae | |
---|---|
Walkerana phrynoderma | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Amphibia |
Order: | Anura |
Clade: | Ranoidea |
Family: | Ranixalidae Dubois , 1987 |
Genera | |
Ranixalidae is a family of frogs commonly known as the leaping frogs [1] [2] or Indian frogs. [3] They are endemic to central and southern India, specifically in the Western Ghat mountain range. [1] [2] [3] This mountain range encompasses the Indian states of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu. [4] Ranixalidae can be found in Maharashtra, [5] Goa, [6] Karnataka, and Kerala. [7] There is a large concentration of them in Goa and Maharashtra, however there are still considerable amounts of species within the southern Indian states of Karnataka and Kerala, where there are other frogs within the Indirana genus. [8]
Scientists say the two groups of frogs in Ranixalidae, Indirana and Walkerana, split around 58.4 million years ago. [9]
There are two genera [1] [3] with a total 18 species: [1]
The respective species counts in the AmphibiaWeb are 15 (because Indirana tenuilingua , a nomen inquirendum , is listed) and three ( Walkerana muduga Dinesh et al., 2020 not (yet) listed). [3]
The fungoid frog or Malabar Hills frog is a colourful frog found on the forest floor and lower vegetation in the Western Ghats in south-western India from Bombay to Kerala. It is very similar to another species with which it overlaps partly in range, Hydrophylax bahuvistara which extends further into parts of central India. Although restricted in range within peninsular India, they are of least conservation concern. Their upper parts vary in colour from brownish-red to bright crimson.
Nyctibatrachus is a genus of frogs endemic to the Western Ghats of southwestern India. Their common name is night frogs. Their scientific name also means "night frog", in reference to their habits and dark color. They are the only extant members of the monotypic subfamily Nyctibatrachinae. Currently, 35 species belong to Nyctibatrachus.
Indirana is a genus of frogs in the family Ranixalidae. These frogs are endemic to the Western Ghats of India. They are sometimes known under the common name Indian frogs, whereas members of their parent family are named "leaping frogs".
Indirana leithii is a species of frog in the family Ranixalidae. It is endemic to the northern Western Ghats of India. As currently defined, its range is restricted to the states of Maharashtra and southern Gujarat; earlier records elsewhere refer to other species.
Walkerana diplosticta, also known as the spotted leaping frog, Malabar Indian frog, rufous leaf-hopper frog, and Günther's frog, is a species of frog in the family Ranixalidae. It is endemic to the Western Ghats south of the Palghat Gap and only known with certainty from the states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu, India. Localities with confirmed records include the Kalakkad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve.
Walkerana phrynoderma is a species of frog endemic to the Anaimalai Hills, of the Western Ghats of Kerala and Tamil nadu states in southern India. This species is known from Munnar, Eravikulam National Park, Valparai tea gardens, Anamalai Tiger Reserve, Grass Hills National Park and Palni hills. It is a very rare terrestrial frog species associated with leaf-litter in tropical moist forest. It is threatened by habitat loss caused by subsistence wood collecting. It has the status of one of the "Top 100 Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered Amphibians."
Indirana tenuilingua is a species of frog that is considered nomen inquirendum. It is only known from the type series, now lost, from its type locality, Kemphole, in the Western Ghats of India. It is sometimes known as Rao's Indian frog or slender-tongued frog.
Nyctibatrachus major, the Malabar night frog, large wrinkled frog, or Boulenger's narrow-eyed frog is a species of frog in the family Nyctibatrachidae, commonly known as the robust frogs. It was described in 1882 by the zoologist George Albert Boulenger, and is the type species of the genus Nyctibatrachus. It is a large frog for its genus, with an adult snout–vent length of 31.5–52.0 mm (1.24–2.05 in) for males and 43.7–54.2 mm (1.72–2.13 in) for females. It is mainly brownish to greyish in colour, with a dark greyish-brown upperside, a greyish-white underside, and light grey sides. It also has a variety of grey or brown markings. When preserved in ethanol, it is mostly greyish-brown to grey, with whitish sides. Sexes can be told apart by the presence of the femoral glands in males.
The spinular night frog, also known as the spinular wrinkled frog, is a species of frog in the family Nyctibatrachidae, commonly known as the robust frogs. It was described in 2011 as one of 12 new species in its genus by the herpetologist Sathyabhama Das Biju and his colleagues. A large frog for its genus, it has an adult male snout–vent length of 52.9–66.2 mm (2.08–2.61 in). It has a brownish-grey back, a grey underside, dark brown limbs, and dark grey feet. When preserved in ethanol, it is black above with greyish-brown undersides. The species is endemic to the Western Ghats of India, where it is known from the states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu, where the specimens used to describe the species were originally collected. It is found under rocks in streams in forests. The species has not been assigned a conservation status by the IUCN.
Raorchestes is a genus of frogs in the subfamily Rhacophorinae that are found in mountainous regions of South Asia, Southeast Asia, and southern China. A recent study places Raorchestes as a sister taxon of Pseudophilautus. Before the description of the genus in 2010, species now in Raorchestes had been assigned to genera Ixalus, Philautus, and Pseudophilautus.
Raorchestes ghatei is a species of shrub frogs from the Western Ghats of Maharashtra.
Indirana chiravasi is a species of frog endemic to the Western Ghats of India. It is only known from its type locality, the laterite plateaus by the hill-station of Amboli, Maharashtra. It was described in 2014 by a team of three scientists from IISER, Pune and MES Abasaheb Garware College.
Hydrophylax bahuvistara, commonly known as the widespread fungoid frog, is a colourful frog found widespread in peninsular India, distributed in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Goa and Madhya Pradesh. It is very similar to another species with which it overlaps partly in range, Hydrophylax malabaricus.
Walkerana is a genus of frogs in the family Ranixalidae. The genus is endemic to the Western Ghats in the states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu, India. It was erected in 2016 to host three species of Indirana that represented a genetically and morphologically distinct clade within the then broadly defined Indirana. Until Walkerana muduga was described in 2020, the genus was only known from the southernmost part of the Western Ghats south of the Palghat Gap.
Indirana tysoni, also known by its common name Tyson's leaping frog, is a species from the genus Indirana. The species was originally described in 2016 by Neelesh Dahanukar, Nikhil Modak, Keerthi Krutha, P. O. Nameer, Anand D. Padhye, and Sanjay Molur.
Indirana salelkari, the Netravali leaping frog, is a species of frog in the family Ranixalidae. It is endemic to India's Western Ghat mountains.
Indirana bhadrai, the Bhadra leaping frog, is a species of frog in the family Ranixalidae. It is endemic to India's Western Ghat mountains, north of the Palged Gap.
Indirana paramakri, the rocky terrain leaping frog or Suganthagiri leaping frog, is a frog in the family Ranixalidae. It is endemic to Kerala, India in the Western Ghat mountains.
The Yadera leaping frog is a frog in the family Ranixalidae. It is endemic to India's Western Ghat mountains.
Sarojamma's leaping frog is a species of frog in the family Ranixalidae. It is endemic to in Kerala, India in the Western Ghat mountains, south of the Palghat Gap.