Nyctibatrachus Explained

Nyctibatrachus is a genus of frogs endemic to the Western Ghats of southwestern India. Their common name is night frogs.^{[1] [2]} 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.^[3] Currently, 35 species belong to Nyctibatrachus.^[4]

Description

Members of the genus Nyctibatrachus are robust-bodied frogs that range in size from small (snout–vent length <13 mm in Nyctibatrachus robinmoorei)^[5] to relatively large (up to 84 mm Nyctibatrachus karnatakaensis). The especially small species are among the smallest of all Indian frogs. They have a concealed tympanum, dorsum with longitudinal skin folds, femoral glands, and expanded finger and toes disks. They occur near streams in hilly evergreen forests^[6] and are nocturnal.^[7] Most species have amplexus but Nyctibatrachus humayuni does not; in this species the male moves over the eggs after the female has deposited them.^[6]

Species

The following species are recognised in the genus Nyctibatrachus:

Notes and References

1. Web site: Nyctibatrachus Boulenger, 1882 . Frost, Darrel R. . 2015 . Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0 . American Museum of Natural History . 7 July 2015.
2. Web site: Nyctibatrachidae . 2014 . AmphibiaWeb: Information on amphibian biology and conservation. [web application] . Berkeley, California: AmphibiaWeb . 29 May 2014.
3. Blommers-Schlösser. Rose M. A.. 1993-07-01. Systematic relationships of the Mantellinae Laurent 1946 (Anura Ranoidea). Ethology Ecology & Evolution. 5. 2. 199–218. 10.1080/08927014.1993.9523105. 1993EtEcE...5..199B . 0394-9370.
4. Garg. Sonali. Suyesh. Robin. Sukesan. Sandeep. Biju. S. D.. 2017-02-21. Seven new species of Night Frogs (Anura, Nyctibatrachidae) from the Western Ghats Biodiversity Hotspot of India, with remarkably high diversity of diminutive forms. PeerJ. en. 5. e3007. 10.7717/peerj.3007. 28243532. 5322763. 2167-8359. free.
5. Garg. Sonali. Suyesh. Robin. Sukesan. Sandeep. Biju. SD. Seven new species of Night Frogs (Anura, Nyctibatrachidae) from the Western Ghats Biodiversity Hotspot of India, with remarkably high diversity of diminutive forms. PeerJ. 21 February 2017. 5. e3007. 10.7717/peerj.3007. 28243532. en. 2167-8359. 5322763 . free .
6. Book: Herpetology: An Introductory Biology of Amphibians and Reptiles . 4th . Laurie J.. Vitt. Janalee P. . Caldwell. Academic Press. 2014. 509–510.
7. Biju, S.D., Van Bocxlaer, I., Mahony, S., Dinesh, K.P., Radhakrishnan, C., Zachariah, A., Giri, V., and Bossuyt, F. . 2011 . A taxonomic review of the Night Frog genus Nyctibatrachus Boulenger, 1882 in the Western Ghats, India (Anura: Nyctibatrachidae) with description of twelve new species . Zootaxa. 3029 . 1–96. 10.11646/zootaxa.3029.1.1.