Uperodon variegatus

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Uperodon variegatus
Uperodon variegatus-Ramanella variegata.jpg
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Microhylidae
Genus: Uperodon
Species:
U. variegatus
Binomial name
Uperodon variegatus
(Stoliczka, 1872)
Synonyms [2]
  • Hylaedactylus carnaticus Jerdon, 1853 – nomen nudum
  • Callula variegata Stoliczka, 1872 [3]
  • Callula olivacea Günther, 1876 "1875"
  • Kaloula variegata (Stoliczka, 1872)
  • Ramanella symbioitica Rao and Ramanna, 1925

Uperodon variegatus, also known as the Eluru dot frog, termite nest frog, variable ramanella, variagated ramanella, white-bellied pug snout frog, or variagated globular frog, is a species of narrow-mouthed frog (family Microhylidae) that is endemic to India. Earlier records from Sri Lanka refer to what is now known as Uperodon rohani . [2] They are seen mostly in the monsoon season when they may enter homes. They are small in size and the variegated markings and the genus characteristic of having pads on the fingertips but not on their toes make them easy to identify.

Contents

Description

This species is small and often can be found indoors in homes. The discs on the fingers are triangular. Toes have rudimentary webbing with two metatarsal tubercles. The tibio-tarsal joint reaches shoulder when the hind leg is held along the body. They breed during the rainy season (April–October) and call during this time. Males call at night while afloat in water. They have a single subgular vocal sac. [4] [5] The call has been transcribed as ghauyghauy. The tadpoles are brown or gray with black spots. Sometimes they have a blue spot on each side of the body. The tadpoles are bottom feeders and metamorphose within a month. [6]

Habitat

They breed in water in dark cavities and are often found in termite mounds or under stones. Recorded mainly from peninsular India including the dry zone being found even in Madras and West Bengal. [7] [8] They have been found to be quite tolerant to water salinity. [9]

They have been found to occur with large black scorpions Heterometrus sp. and when disturbed they crawl over the scorpions but flattened and froze when the scorpions walked over them. They can burrow in soft soil. [10] [11]

Related Research Articles

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The Microhylidae, commonly known as narrow-mouthed frogs, are a geographically widespread family of frogs. The 683 species are in 63 genera and 11 subfamilies, which is the largest number of genera of any frog family.

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Himalayan keelback Species of snake

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<i>Lycodon travancoricus</i> Species of snake

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Grey francolin Species of bird

The grey francolin is a species of francolin found in the plains and drier parts of the Indian subcontinent and Iran. This species was formerly also called the grey partridge, not to be confused with the European grey partridge. They are mainly ground-living birds and are found in open cultivated lands as well as scrub forest and their local name of teetar is based on their calls, a loud and repeated Ka-tee-tar...tee-tar which is produced by one or more birds. The term teetar can also refer to other partridges and quails. During the breeding season calling males attract challengers, and decoys were used to trap these birds especially for fighting.

Banded bullfrog Species of amphibian

The banded bullfrog is a type of frog in the microhylid family. It is also known as the Asian painted frog, Malaysian painted frog, Burmese painted frog, rice frog, and bubble frog. In the pet trade, it is sometimes called the chubby frog. They have round bodies with mahogany brown backs and cream stomachs. The distinctive stripes down the side can range from copper-brown to salmon pink in color. Males have darker throats than females. Frogs grow to about 8 cm (3 in) with females generally being larger than males. They may live for as long as 10 years. Although prevalent in the pet trade, very little is known regarding its behaviour in the wild. They exude a sticky mucus when threatened, which is not toxic but has an unpleasant taste. A former subspecies in South India and Sri Lanka is now known to be a separate, related species, Uperodon taprobanicus.

<i>Metaphrynella</i> Genus of amphibians

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<i>Uperodon</i> Genus of amphibians

Uperodon is a genus of microhylid frogs. They occur in South Asia and Myanmar. Uperodon reached its current composition in 2016 when the genus Ramanella was brought into its synonymy. The common names of these frogs are globular frogs and balloon frogs in reference to their stout appearance, or dot frogs, the last specifically referring to the former Ramanella.

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<i>Uperodon montanus</i> Species of amphibian

Uperodon montanus, also known as Jerdon's narrow-mouthed frog, Jerdon's ramanella, mountain dot frog, mountain globular frog, or Malabar Hill frog, is a species of narrow-mouthed frog endemic to the Western Ghats of India.

<i>Uperodon taprobanicus</i> Species of amphibian

Uperodon taprobanicus, also known as the Sri Lankan bullfrog, Sri Lankan painted frog, Sri Lankan kaloula, Ceylon kaloula, Indian painted frog, or painted globular frog, is a species of narrow-mouthed frog found in Nepal, Bangladesh, southern and eastern India, and Sri Lanka up to an altitude of about 1300 metres. It can grow to an adult length of up to 75 millimetres(7.5 cm) long from snout to vent. It was originally described as a subspecies of Kaloula pulchra, ssp. taprobanica. The IUCN lists it as being of "Least Concern".

<i>Uperodon anamalaiensis</i> Species of amphibian

Uperodon anamalaiensis, also known as Anamalai dot frog, Anamalai ramanella, or reddish-brown microhylid frog, is a species of narrow-mouthed frog found in South India. The holotype was discovered at the base of the Anaimalai Hills, Coimbatore district in the southern Western Ghats. The holotype is missing and the status of the species was uncertain till 2010. Until rediscovered in the Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary in 2010, this frog was reported only once by C. R. Narayan Rao in 1937.

<i>Uperodon mormoratus</i> Species of amphibian

Uperodon mormorata, also known as the Indian dot frog, marbled ramanella, dark-banded frog, and mottled globular frog, is a species of narrow-mouthed frog endemic to the Western Ghats of southwestern India. It was previously placed in the genus Ramanella. It has only been reported from three locations, though locally found in some numbers.

<i>Uperodon systoma</i> Species of amphibian

Uperodon systoma is a species of narrow-mouthed frog found in Pakistan, India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. It is known under many different common names: indistinct frog, marbled balloon frog, and lesser balloon frog.

<i>Hoplobatrachus crassus</i> Species of frog

Hoplobatrachus crassus, also called Jerdon's bullfrog, Jerdon's bull frog, and South Indian bullfrog, is a species of frog found widely distributed on the plains of India, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. Its range may extend to the adjacent Bhutan and Myanmar.

Uperodon nagaoi, also known as the Nagao's pug-snout frog or Nagao's globular frog, is a species of frogs in the family Microhylidae. It is endemic to Sri Lanka and is known from the Central, Sabaragamuwa, Southern, and Western Provinces. The specific name nagaoi honours Eijiro Nagao, president of Marusan Securities who, through the Nagao Environmental Foundation, has supported research on Sri Lankan amphibians.

<i>Chirixalus simus</i> Species of amphibian

Chirixalus simus, commonly known as Assam Asian frog, Assam tree frog, Annandale's tree frog, and Annandale's pigmy tree frog, is a species of frog in the family Rhacophoridae found in Bangladesh and north-eastern India. Among other places, it has been recorded from Rajpur in the South 24 Parganas district and in the Darrang district of Assam.

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<i>Hemidactylus parvimaculatus</i> Species of lizard

Hemidactylus parvimaculatus, also known as the spotted house gecko or the Sri Lankan house gecko, is a species of gecko from South Asia and Indian Ocean.

References

  1. Dutta, S.; Manamendra-Arachchi, K. (2016). "Uperodon variegatus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2016: e.T57992A91636474. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-1.RLTS.T57992A91636474.en . Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  2. 1 2 Frost, Darrel R. (2019). "Uperodon variegatus (Stoliczka, 1872)". Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0. American Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 1 July 2019.
  3. Stoliczka, F. 1872. Proc. Asiatic Soc. Bengal (6):111
  4. Ravishankar Dundappa Kanamadi; Channayya Rajashekar Hiremath; Hans Schneider (1993) The advertisement call of the south Indian frog Ramanella variegata (Microhylidae). Journal of Herpetology 27(2):218-219.
  5. Dutta, S. K., Sushree, J. and Mohanthi-Hejmadi, P., Breeding and development of Ramanella variegata (Anura; microhylidae). J. Zool. Soc. India, 1990–1991, 42–43, 55–76.
  6. Daniel, J. C. (1963) Field Guide to the Amphibians of Western India. Part 2. J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 60(3):25-37
  7. Deuti, Kaushik (1998) Occurrence of Ramanella variegata (Anura- Microhylidae) in west Bengal with notes on its Distribution in India. J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc: 95(1):126-127
  8. Murthy, T.S.N. (1968) Notes on a rare and interesting microhylid frog (Ramanella variegata Stol.) from Madras. J. Univ. Bombay 36(3 & 5): 1-3
  9. Chakko, George (1968) Salinity tolerance in some South Indian Anurans. Proceedings of the Indian Academy of Sciences, Section B. 67:233-236 PDF
  10. Daniel, J C (1963) Field Guide to the Amphibians of Western India. Part 2. J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 60(3):25-37
  11. Rao, C. R. N. & Ramanna, B. S. (1925) On a new genus of the family Engystomatidae (Batrachia). Proc. Zool. Soc. London 1925: 587-97.