Raorchestes beddomii explained

Raorchestes beddomii (Beddome's bubble-nest frog or Beddome's bush frog) is a species of frog in the family Rhacophoridae. It is endemic to southern Western Ghats of southwestern India in Kerala (Athirimala and Munnar) and Tamil Nadu (Kannikatti).[1] Its name honours Colonel Richard Henry Beddome who collected the type specimen.[2]

Description

Raorchestes beddomii are small frogs: males grow to a snout-vent length of 16mm23mm and females to 23mm30mm. Their colouration is nearly uniformly green on dorsum, dorsal side of forelimbs, hindlimbs, and loreal and tympanic regions. Their iris is reddish brown. Size and colouration varies between the populations; frogs from Munnar were the larger and had lighter colour.[2]

Habitat

Raorchestes beddomii are found in moist forest patches as well as in wayside vegetation and tea plantations. It has been observed in the Western Ghat Mountains, between 120 and 460 meters above sea level. Calling males are usually sitting on leaves, some 1.5 metres above the ground.[2] It is not directly threatened, but the known distribution area is small.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Raorchestes beddomii (Günther, 1876) . Frost, Darrel R. . 2013 . Amphibian Species of the World 5.6, an Online Reference . American Museum of Natural History . 9 November 2013.
  2. Biju . S. D.. Sathyabhama Das Biju. Bossuyt . F. . 10.1111/j.1096-3642.2008.00466.x . Systematics and phylogeny of Philautus Gistel, 1848 (Anura, Rhacophoridae) in the Western Ghats of India, with descriptions of 12 new species . Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society . 155 . 2 . 374–444. 2009 . free .