Minervarya pierrei (Dubois)

Prasad, Vishal Kumar, Gautam, Kumudani Bala, Gupta, Sandeep Kumar, Murthy, R. Sreenivasa, Ramesh, K., Shinde, Ajinkya Duttatray & Das, Abhijit, 2020, Identification of anuran species diversity of the Panna Tiger Reserve, Central India, using an integrated approach, Zootaxa 4851 (3), pp. 450-476 : 459

Minervarya pierrei (Dubois)

( Fig 4F )

Specimens examined: two males (WIIAD 245 & 246) and two females (WIIAD 059 & WIIAD 067).

Morphological features: Adult males SVL 26.6–27 mm (n=2) and females SVL 33–33.6 mm (n=2); head longer than wide; snout slightly pointed in dorsal view; tympanum marginally less than ¾ the diameter of eye, supratympanic fold visible; dorsal skin tubercular with conical warts, fejervaryan lines present on abdomen, skin on ventral side is smooth; fingers tip rounded, relative length of fingers IV <II <I <III; toes relative length 1<2<3<5<4. Coloration in life: Dorsum brown with dark brown spots, dark brown spots more prominent on the flank and upper groin; fore limbs and hind limbs with four dark brown bars; upper and lower jaws barred; groin and undersides of thighs pale yellow; ventral sides of thighs are pinkish; throat mild black (males during breeding season); abdomen white.

Bioacoustics: We recorded 30 advertisement calls from three males. Calls were recorded between 23:30–02:00 hours in July and calling location air temperature was between 27.4 °C–29.7 °C. Males produced single type calls. Mean call duration was 73.18 ± 9.86 ms (53–90 ms) with pulse rate of 113.37 ± 12.92 pulses/s (122.30–225.35 pulses/s) and mean of pulses per call was 14.70 ± 1.84. The mean dominant frequency was 3714.05 ± 67.58 Hz (3574.50–3832.90 Hz).

Remark: A common anuran in the region. Seen calling from waterlogged open grasslands in July and August. The result of our genetic analyses confirmed the presence of M. pierrei in PTR ( Fig 8A ). Its neighboring record is from Haryana, India ( Frost 2020). This study provides a new state record of M. pierrei from Madhya Pradesh. This record also extends its southern most range to Panna in Central India.

Figures

FIGURE 4. Photos of anuran species in life recorded during the study:A) Duttaphrynus melanostictus; B) Duttaphrynus scaber; C) Duttaphrynus stomaticus; D) Fejervarya orissaensis; E) Minervarya caperata; F) Minervarya pierrei; G) Euphlyctis cyanophlyctis; H) Hoplobatrachus crassus; I) Hoplobatrachus tigerinus; J) Sphaerotheca pashchima; K) Microhyla nilphamariensis; L) Uperodon globulosus; M) Uperodon systoma; N) Uperodon variegatus; O) Polypedates maculatus. Red star indicates new state records for Madhya Pradesh.

FIGURE 8A. Maximum Likelihood tree based on the 16S mitochondrial DNA dataset (nodes having>50% bootstrap values are shown) of genera A. Fejervarya and Minervarya.