imported>Citation bot: Add: s2cid. | Use this bot. Report bugs. | Suggested by Abductive | Category:Use Indian English from January 2020 | via #UCB_Category 377/1871

2021-03-18T02:56:40Z

Add: s2cid. | Use this bot. Report bugs. | Suggested by Abductive | Category:Use Indian English from January 2020 | via #UCB_Category 377/1871

New page

{{Short description|Species of amphibian}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2020}}
{{Use Indian English|date=January 2020}}
{{Speciesbox
| image = Rhacophorus lateralis Coorg.jpg
| status = EN | status_system = IUCN3.1
| status_ref = <ref name=IUCN>{{cite iucn |author1=Biju, S.D.|author2=Dutta, S.|author3=Vasudevan, K.|author4=Srinivasulu, C.|author5=Vijayakumar, S.P.| title = ''Rhacophorus lateralis'' | volume= 2004 | page = e.T59000A11864479 | year = 2004 | doi = 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2004.RLTS.T59000A11864479.en }}</ref>
| taxon = Rhacophorus lateralis
| authority = [[George Albert Boulenger|Boulenger]], 1883
| synonyms =
}}

'''''Rhacophorus lateralis''''' is an endangered [[Rhacophoridae|rhacophorid]] [[tree frog]] [[Endemism|endemic]] to the [[Western Ghats]] in [[South India]].<ref name=Frost/> It has several common names: '''small tree frog''', '''Boulenger's tree frog''', '''small gliding frog''', and '''winged gliding frog'''.<ref name=IUCN/><ref name=Frost/> After its original description in 1883 by [[George Albert Boulenger]], the frog was rediscovered in Coorg in 2000 and has since been found in many parts of the [[Western Ghats]] around southern [[Karnataka]] and northern [[Kerala]].<ref name="das">{{cite journal|last=Das|first=Indraneil|title=Nomenclatural history and rediscovery of ''Rhacophorus lateralis'' Boulenger, 1883 (Amphibia: Rhacophoridae) |journal=Current Herpetology |year=2000 |volume=19 |issue=1 |pages=35–40 |url=https://archive.org/stream/hachuryoseiruig192000niho#page/34/mode/2up|doi=10.5358/hsj.19.35|doi-access=free }}</ref><ref name="jott">{{cite journal|last=Dinesh|first=KP|author2=Radhakrishnana, C. |author3=Gururaja, K.V. |author4=Zachariah, A. |title=New locality records of ''Rhacophorus lateralis'' Boulenger, 1883 (Amphibia: Anura: Rhacophoridae), in the Western Ghats|journal=Journal of Threatened Taxa|date=26 June 2010|volume=2|issue=6|pages=986–989|doi=10.11609/jott.o2209.986-9|doi-access=free}}</ref><ref name="bennet">{{cite book|last=Bennet |first=Daniel |author2=K. Hampson |author3=K. Sanders |author4=M. Anderson |title=Frogs of Coorg, Karnataka, India|series=Final Report of the Aberdeen University Western Ghats Project|year=2000|url=http://coorg.mampam.com/coorg-introduction.pdf}}</ref> Along with ''[[Rhacophorus malabaricus|R. malabaricus]]'', it is one of the few [[Frog|anuran amphibians]] in India that constructs its nest above the ground using leaves.<ref name="biju">{{cite journal|last=Biju|first=S.D.|title=A novel nesting behaviour of a treefrog, ''Rhacophorus lateralis'' in the Western Ghats, India|journal=Current Science|date=10 August 2009 |volume=97|issue=3 |pages=433–437 |url=http://www.currentscience.ac.in/Downloads/article_id_097_03_0433_0437_0.pdf}}</ref>

==Description==
[[File:Rhacophorus lateralis nest.jpg|160px|thumb|left|Nest of ''Rhacophorus lateralis'' in a leaf—along with ''R. malabaricus'', this is one of the few amphibians from India that lays its eggs in multiple leaves above the ground.]]
The frog was described by [[George Albert Boulenger]] in 1883 based on a single specimen from "[[Malabar (Northern Kerala)|Malabar]]" (present-day [[Kerala]]) collected by [[Richard Henry Beddome]]<ref>{{cite journal|url= https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/16006530|author=Boulenger, G.A.| title=Descriptions of new species of reptiles and batrachians in the British Museum | journal=Annals and Magazine of Natural History |series=5| volume=12|issue=69|year=1883|pages=161–167| doi=10.1080/00222938309459605}}</ref> with a second specimen in the Indian Museum from Koppa in Chikmagalur collected by W. M. Daly, then resident in Kadur.<ref>{{cite book|author=Sclater, W.L. |year=1892| title=List of the Batrachia in the Indian Museum |publisher=Indian Museum| place=London| url=https://archive.org/stream/listbatrachiain00sclagoog#page/n28/mode/2up/|page=16}}</ref> Several later surveys did not report the species until its rediscovery in 2000 in the course of an expedition to the Western Ghats by a team from [[University of Aberdeen]]. The rediscovery was based on two adult females and an unsexed [[Metamorphosis#Amphibian metamorphosis|metamorph]] specimen collected from Lakunda estate in [[Virajpet]] taluka in South [[Kodagu]].<ref name=das /> The frog is slender with a short head and snout and a distinct [[canthus rostralis]]. The nostrils are nearer to the tip of the snout than to the eye. The eyes are large with the [[Tympanum (zoology)|tympanum]] half the diameter of the eye and a distinct supratympanic fold. The fingers and toes have an enlarged disc possessing circummarginal grooves. The upper portion (dorsum) is smooth, the belly is granular and a characteristic dorsolateral yellow streak on either side of the upper body from the nostril to the groin is distinctive.<ref name=jott /> Colour variations even within the same individual have been reported<ref name=jott /> and have been attributed to stress.<ref name="molur">{{cite journal|last=Molur|first=Sanjay|author2=P Molur |title=''Rhacophorus lateralis'' in Madikeri, Kodagu, Karnataka|journal=Frogleg, Newsletter of the Amphibian Network of South Asia and Amphibian Specialist Group South Asia |volume=14|pages=6–7|url=http://www.zoosprint.org/zoosprintnewsletter/frog_leg_14_2010may.pdf}}</ref> Repeated handling reduces colour change.<ref name=bennet />

Green and brown colour variations have been described. Individuals with green upperparts have the green colour interspersed with fine, sky-blue spots. The individuals with brown dorsa have darker brown spots; no demarcating blue line borders the yellow stripe from the eye to the groin.<ref name=jott />

Phylogenetic studies show it to be closely related to ''Rhacophorus malabaricus''.<ref>{{cite journal| author1=Li, J.T.| author2= Li, Y.|author3=Murphy, R.W.|author4=Rao, D.-Q. |author5= Zhang, Y.-P.|year=2012| title=Phylogenetic resolution and systematics of the Asian tree frogs, ''Rhacophorus'' (Rhacophoridae, Amphibia) | journal=Zoologica Scripta | volume=41| issue= 6| pages=557–570| doi=10.1111/j.1463-6409.2012.00557.x| s2cid= 86369809| url=http://labs.eeb.utoronto.ca/murphy/PDFs%20of%20papers/2012_Li_Rhacophorus.pdf}}</ref>[[File:Rhacophorus_lateralis_morphs.jpg|thumb|Individuals can change colour between brown and green]]
==Habitat==
The species has been reported from [[shola]]s in [[Eravikulam National Park]] and [[Kudremukh National Park]], plantations in [[Kodagu]] and [[Chikkamagaluru]] in [[Karnataka]] and [[Wayanad]] in [[Kerala]]<ref name=jott /><ref name="goel">{{cite journal|last=Goel|first=Anurag|author2=Maya Goel |title=Observations on ''Rhacophorus lateralis'' and ''R. malabaricus'' in northern Coorg|journal=Frogleg, Newsletter of the Amphibian Network of South Asia and Amphibian Specialist Group South Asia|volume=14|pages=8–10|url=http://www.zoosprint.org/zoosprintnewsletter/frog_leg_14_2010may.pdf}}</ref> and adjoining subtropical evergreen forests in the southern [[Western Ghats]]. It is endemic to this region. It has often been reported in association with ''[[Rhacophorus malabaricus]]''.<ref name=jott /><ref name=goel />

==Threats==
Habitat loss due to changing agricultural practices, use of pesticides, and logging of its natural forest habitat are major threats to this species.<ref name=jott />

==References==
{{Reflist|refs=
<ref name=Frost>{{cite web |url=http://research.amnh.org/vz/herpetology/amphibia/index.php//Amphibia/Anura/Rhacophoridae/Rhacophorinae/Rhacophorus/Rhacophorus-lateralis |title=''Rhacophorus lateralis'' Boulenger, 1883 |author=Frost, Darrel R. |year=2016 |work=Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0 |publisher=American Museum of Natural History |access-date=9 June 2016}}</ref>
}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Rhacophorus lateralis}}

{{Taxonbar|from=Q2707407}}

[[Category:Rhacophorus|lateralis]]
[[Category:Frogs of India]]
[[Category:Endemic fauna of the Western Ghats]]
[[Category:Taxonomy articles created by Polbot]]
[[Category:Amphibians described in 1883]]

Rhacophorus lateralis - Revision history

imported>Citation bot: Add: s2cid. | Use this bot. Report bugs. | Suggested by Abductive | Category:Use Indian English from January 2020 | via #UCB_Category 377/1871