Osteological description of Indian Skipper Frog Euphlyctis cyanophlyctis (Anura: Dicroglossidae) from the Western Ghats of India

Main Article Content

Pankaj A. Gorule
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6892-5083
Sachin M. Gosavi
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0534-2336
Sanjay Kharat
Chandani Verma
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8577-8887

Abstract

The present study provides description of the osteology of Skipper Frog Euphlyctis cyanophlyctis.  Seven adult specimens of E. cyanophlyctis from northern Western Ghats of India were cleared and double stained for studying osteological characteristics.  The baseline description of osteological characters of cranial and post-cranial elements (paired nasals, tubular sphenethmoid, well-developed vomerine teeth, arciferal pectoral girdle, fan-shaped omosternum, cartilaginous W-shaped xiphisternum, hind limb with longest cylindrical humerus, V-shaped pectoral girdle and phalangeal appendages) provided in present study will help in further taxonomic investigations of the genus Euphlyctis.  Further, the baseline information on osteology of Skipper frog will serve as a reference material for investigations related to malformations, either in this or related species.  We also provide first observation on sacro-pelvic malformation in one of the studied specimens. 

Article Details

Section
Short Communications

References

Blaustein, A.R. & P.T. Johnson (2003). Explaining frog deformities. Scientific American 288(2): 60–65. https://doi.org/10.1038/scientificamerican0203-60 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/scientificamerican0203-60

Bowerman, J., P.T. Johnson & T. Bowerman (2010). Sublethal predators and their injured prey: linking aquatic predators and severe limb abnormalities in amphibians. Ecology 91(1): 242–251. https://doi.org/10.1890/08-1687.1 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1890/08-1687.1

Dahanukar, N., K. Krutha, M.S. Paingankar, A.D. Padhye, N. Modak & S. Molur (2013). Endemic Asian chytrid strain infection in threatened and endemic anurans of the northern Western Ghats, India. PLoS ONE 8(10): e77528. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0077528 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0077528

Deckert, K. (1938). Beitrage zur Osteologie und Systematik ranider Froschelurche. Sitzungsberichte der Gesellschaft Naturforschender Freunde zu Berlin: 127–184.

Dinesh, K.P. & C. Radhakrishnan (2011). Checklist of amphibians of Western Ghats. Frog leg 16: 15–21.

Dubois, A. (1980). L’influence de l’homme sur la répartition des Amphibiens dans l’Himalaya central et occidental. Comptes Rendus de la Société de Biogéographie 55: 155–178.

Duellman, W.E. & L. Trueb (1986). Biology of amphibians. First Edition Philippines, McGraw-Hill Book Company, Baltimore, Maryland, 670pp.

Fabrezi, M. (1992). El carpo de anuros. Alytes 10(1): 1–29.

Günther, A. (1860). Contributions to a knowledge of the Reptiles of the Himalaya mountains. Proceedings of the Zoological Society 1860: 148–175.

Johnson, P.T.J., K.B. Lunde, E.G. Ritchie & A.E. Launer (1999). The effect of trematode infection on amphibian limb development and survivorship. Science 284(5415): 802–804. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.284.5415.802 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1126/science.284.5415.802

Lynch, J.D. (1971). Evolutionary relationships, osteology, and zoogeography of leptodactyloid frogs. Miscellaneous Publication - University of Kansas, Museum of Natural History 53: 1–238.

Peloso, P.L. (2016). Osteological malformation in the tree frog Hypsiboas geographicus (Anura: Hylidae). Phyllomedusa 15: 91–93. https://doi.org/10.11606/issn.2316-9079.v15i1p91-93

Potthoff, T. (1984). Clearing and staining techniques, pp. 35—37. In: Moser, H.G., W.J. Richards, D.M. Cohen, M.P. Fahay, A.W. Kendall, Jr., & S.L. Richardson (eds.). Ontogeny and Systematics of Fishes. American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists, Allen Press, Lawrence, KS. Special Publication 1.

Priti, H., C.R. Naik, K.S. Seshadri, R. Singal, M.K. Vidisha, G. Ravikanth & K.V. Gururaja (2016). A new species of Euphlyctis (Amphibia, Anura, Dicroglossidae) from the west coastal plains of India. Asian Herpetological Research 7(4): 229–241. https://doi.org/10.16373/j.cnki.ahr.160020

Pugener, L.A. & A.M. Maglia (1997). Osteology and skeletal development of Discoglossus sardus (Anura:Discoglossidae). Journal of Morphology 233(3): 267–286. https://doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1097-4687(199709)233:3%3C267::AID-JMOR6%3E3.0.CO;2-0

Schneider, J.G. (1799). Historia Amphibiorum Naturalis et Literarariae. Fasciculus Primus. Continens Ranas, Calamitas, Bufones, Salamandras et Hydros in Genera et Species Descriptos Notisque suis Distinctos. Jena: Friederici Frommanni. 137–138. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.78757

Schoff, P.K., C.M. Johnson, A.M. Schotthoefer, J.E. Murphy, C. Lieske, R.A. Cole, L.B. Johnson & V.R. Beasley (2003). Prevalence of skeletal and eye malformations in frogs from north-central United States: estimations based on collections from randomly selected sites. Journal of Wildlife Diseases 39(3): 510–521. https://doi.org/10.7589/0090-3558-39.3.510 DOI: https://doi.org/10.7589/0090-3558-39.3.510

Senevirathne, G. & M. Meegaskumbura (2015). Life among crevices: Osteology of Nannophrys marmorata (Anura: Dicroglossidae). Zootaxa 4032(2): 241–245. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4032.2.12 DOI: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4032.2.12

Silva, G.K.V.P.T., W.A.D. Mahaulpatha & A. de Silva (2019). Amphibian abnormalities and threats in pristine ecosystems in Sri Lanka. Journal of Threatened Taxa 11(15): 15004–15014. https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.5394.11.15.15004-15014 DOI: https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.5394.11.15.15004-15014

Sower, S.A., K.L. Reed & K.J. Babbitt (2000). Limb malformations and abnormal sex hormone concentrations in frogs. Environmental Health Perspectives 108(11): 1085–1090. https://doi.org/10.1289/ehp.001081085 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1289/ehp.001081085

Stuart, S.N., J.S. Chanson, N.A. Cox, B.E. Young, A.S. Rodrigues, D.L. Fischman & R.W. Waller (2004). Status and trends of amphibian declines and extinctions worldwide. Science 306(5702): 1783–1786. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1103538 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1103538

Trueb, L. (1973). Bones, frogs and evolution: J.L. Vial. (Eds.). Evolutionary Biology of the Anurans: Contemporary research on major problems. University of Missouri Press, Columbia, 65–132.

Zhang, M., X. Chen & X. Chen (2016). Osteology of Quasipaa robertingeri (Anura: Dicroglossidae). Asian Herpetological Research 7(4): 242–250. https://doi.org/16373/j.cnki.ahr.150067