>ShortDescBot: ShortDescBot adding short description "Genus of amphibians"

2021-02-25T23:24:30Z

ShortDescBot adding short description "Genus of amphibians"

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{{Short description|Genus of amphibians}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2020}}
{{Use Indian English|date=January 2020}}
{{Automatic taxobox
| image = Ghatixalus variabilis - Gunther.jpg
| image_caption = ''[[Ghatixalus variabilis]]''
| taxon = Ghatixalus
| authority = [[Sathyabhama Das Biju|Biju]], Roelants, and Bossuyt, 2008<ref name=BijuEtAl>{{Cite journal | last1 = Biju | first1 = S. | last2 = Roelants | first2 = K. | last3 = Bossuyt | first3 = F. | doi = 10.1016/j.ode.2007.11.004 | title = Phylogenetic position of the montane treefrog ''Polypedates variabilis'' Jerdon, 1853 (Anura: Rhacophoridae), and description of a related species | journal = Organisms Diversity & Evolution | volume = 8 | issue = 4 | pages = 267–276| year = 2008 }}</ref>
| type_species = ''[[Ghatixalus variabilis|Polypedates variabilis]]''
| type_species_authority = Jerdon, 1854
| subdivision_ranks = Species
| subdivision = 3, see text
}}

'''''Ghatixalus''''' is a genus of [[frog]]s in the family [[Rhacophoridae]], [[subfamily]] [[Rhacophorinae]]. They are [[endemic]] to the [[Western Ghats]] of southern India. They are the [[sister taxon]] to a larger [[clade]] consisting of ''[[Chiromantis]]'', ''[[Feihyla]]'', ''[[Taruga]]'', ''[[Polypedates]]'', and ''[[Rhacophorus]]''.<ref name=frost>{{cite web |url=http://research.amnh.org/vz/herpetology/amphibia/?action=names&taxon=Ghatixalus |title=''Ghatixalus'' Biju, Roelants, and Bossuyt, 2008 |author=Frost, Darrel R. |year=2013 |work=Amphibian Species of the World 5.6, an Online Reference |publisher=American Museum of Natural History |access-date=16 November 2013}}</ref><ref name=LiEtAl>{{Cite journal| last = Li| first = Jiatang| author2 = Dingqi Rao| author3 = Robert W. Murphy| author4 = Yaping Zhang| year = 2011| title = The systematic status of rhacophorid frogs| journal = Asian Herpetological Research| volume = 2| pages = 1–11| doi = 10.3724/SP.J.1245.2011.00001| url = http://210.75.237.14/bitstream/351003/23370/1/2011e0121z.pdf| access-date = 2013-11-16| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131203064057/http://210.75.237.14/bitstream/351003/23370/1/2011e0121z.pdf| archive-date = 2013-12-03| url-status = dead}}</ref> The name of the genus combines words "Ghats" and "''Ixalus''". The former refers to the Western Ghats, and the latter to now-abandoned genus name that lives as the suffix in many generic names for rhacophorid frogs.<ref name=BijuEtAl/>

==Description==
''Ghatixalus'' are medium-to giant-sized frogs with adult males measuring {{convert|39|-|82|mm|abbr=on}} and females {{convert|58|-|67|mm|abbr=on}}
adults (male SVL 38.8–82 mm, female 58.1–66.7 mm) in snout-vent length. They have a dorsal color pattern with dark brown prominent blotches. Eggs develop in foam nests followed by a free-swimming [[tadpole]] stage. Their habitat is associated with mountain streams throughout their life cycle.<ref name=BijuEtAl/><ref name=LiEtAl/>

==Distribution and natural history==
This exclusively [[Shola]] forest specialist genus is distributed only in the high elevations of Nilgiris and Anaimalai-Palnis, only above 1600 m asl. Most of the sightings were near streams and streamside often on bare ground, grass clumps on ground or rocks nearby. Although belonging to rather [[arboreal]] frog family, these frogs are [[terrestrial animals]].

==Species==
There are only 3 recognized species in the genus ''Ghatixalus'':<ref name=frost/>
* ''[[Ghatixalus asterops]]'' Biju, Roelants, and Bossuyt, 2008 endemic to Upper [[Palni Hills]], [[Anaimalai]] and [[High Ranges]].
* ''[[Ghatixalus magnus]]'' Abraham, Mathew, Cyriac, Zachariah, Raju and Zachariah, 2015 endemic to the [[Anaimalai]] Hills, [[High Ranges]], [[Cardamom Hills]], [[Meghamalai]] and [[Pandalam]] Hills
* ''[[Ghatixalus variabilis]]'' (Jerdon, 1854) endemic to Upper [[Nilgiri Hills]]

The [[Palakkad Gap]] is believed to be a prominent biogeographic barrier that has caused speciation between the sister species ''G. asterops'' and ''G. variabilis''.

==References==
{{Reflist|Abraham, R.K., Mathew, J.K., Cyriac, V.P., Zachariah, A., Raju, D.V., Zachariah, A. (2015). ''A novel third species of the Western Ghats endemic genus Ghatixalus (Anura: Rhacophoridae), with description of its tadpole. .'' Zootaxa, 4048(1), 101-113.=}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Ghatixalus}}

{{Taxonbar|from=Q2336860}}

[[Category:Ghatixalus| ]]
[[Category:Rhacophoridae]]
[[Category:Amphibians of Asia]]
[[Category:Endemic fauna of the Western Ghats]]
[[Category:Taxa named by Sathyabhama Das Biju]]
[[Category:Amphibian genera]]

Ghatixalus - Revision history

>ShortDescBot: ShortDescBot adding short description "Genus of amphibians"