New locality record of the Travancore Bush Frog Raorchestes travancoricus Boulenger, 1891 (Amphibia: Anura: Rhacophoridae) from Periyar Tiger Reserve, Kerala, India

Authors

  • K. Pratap Rajkumar Forest Ecology and Biodiversity Conservation Division, Kerala Forest Research Institute, Peechi, Kerala 680653, India and University of Calicut, Thenhipalam, Malappuram District, Kerala 673635, India http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3241-0170
  • T. S. Prasad Forest Ecology and Biodiversity Conservation Division, Kerala Forest Research Institute, Peechi, Kerala 680653, India http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1943-6683
  • Sandeep Das Forest Ecology and Biodiversity Conservation Division, Kerala Forest Research Institute, Peechi, Kerala 680653, India http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1536-5793
  • R. Sreehari Ecologist, Periyar Tiger Conservation Foundation, Thekkady, Kerala 685536, India http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9812-1166
  • P. S. Easa Forest Ecology and Biodiversity Conservation Division, Kerala Forest Research Institute, Peechi, Kerala 680653, India http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8628-4897
  • K. A. Sreejith Forest Ecology and Biodiversity Conservation Division, Kerala Forest Research Institute, Peechi, Kerala 680653, India http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6268-3973

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.2139.8.1.8379-8382

Keywords:

Amphibia, Bush Frog, Periyar, Raorchestes.

Abstract

Raorchestes travancoricus is a rare and endemic rhacophorid from southern Western Ghats. The frog was listed in the Extinct category of the IUCN Red List until June 2015, even after its rediscovery in 2004.  In June 2015, the R. travancoricus was reassessed to Endangered category. All published reports of the species are restricted to disturbed habitats outside protected areas and the current study report the presence of the species from eight different localities from a protected area the Periyar Tiger Reserve.

 

References

Bee, M.A., R. Suyesh & S.D. Biju (2013a). The vocal repertoire of Pseudophilautus kani, a shrub frog (Anura: Rhacophoridae) from the Western Ghats of India. Bioacoustics 22(1): 67-85.

Bee, M.A., R. Suyesh & S.D. Biju (2013b). Vocal behavior of the Ponmudi Bush Frog (Raorchestes graminirupes): repertoire and individual variation. Herpetologica 69(1): 22-35.

Biju, S.D. & F. Bossuyt (2009). 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.

Bioacoustics Research Program (2014). Raven Pro: Interactive Sound Analysis Software (Version 1.4) [64bit]. Ithaca, NY: The Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Available from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/raven. Downloaded on 15 October 2015.

Boulenger, G.A. (1891). Description of a new species of frog obtained by Mr. H.S. Ferguson in Travancore, South India. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society 6: 450.

IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group (2015). Raorchestes travancoricus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2015: e.T58927A3075035. Downloaded on 17 October 2015; http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2015-2.RLTS.T58927A3075035.en.

Thomas, A., R. Suyesh, S.D. Biju & M.A. Bee (2014). Vocal behavior of the elusive purple frog of India (Nasikabatrachus sahyadrensis), a fossorial species endemic to the Western Ghats. PloS ONE 9(2): e84809; http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0084809

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Published

26-01-2016

Issue

Vol. 8 No. 1 (2016)

Section

Short Communications

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