Duttaphrynus melanostictus (Schneider)

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 : 456

Duttaphrynus melanostictus (Schneider)

( Fig 4A )

Specimen examined: one male (WIIAD 242).

Morphological characters: Adult male SVL 58.12 mm; body stout; snout obtuse in dorsal and lateral view; prominent black cranial ridges over eyes; two large parotid glands behind eyes; pupil round; tympanum distinct and ¾ of the diameter of eye; dorsum skin warty, two longitudinal broken series of larger warts on dorsum; finger tips without discs; relative length of fingers II <I <IV <III; toes scarcely webbed, relative length of toes 1<2<3<5<4, inner metatarsal tubercle small and distinct. The calling male had single subgular highly distensible vocal sac. Coloration in life: Adult male pale yellow or brownish with reddish brown spots on dorsum, breeding males had orange colour on vocal sac region; edges of cranial ridge and upper lip black; series of larger warts on dorsum black; tips of fingers and toes black; underside pale white with fine white tipped spots.

Bioacoustics: We recorded a calling male (voucher WIIAD 242 ) near a stagnant waterbody at 22:30 hours in July at air temperature 27.2 ° C. The male produced single type pulsatile calls. We analysed 10 advertisement calls. Calls were emitted mostly at regular intervals. The mean call duration was 64.1 ± 10.35 ms (44–70 ms) which was the shortest among all congeneric species recorded in PTR. Pulse rate was 112.39 ± 18.77 pulses/s (101.69–161.29 pulses/s) with mean number of pulses per call 6.8 ± 0.79 (5–8 pulses). The mean dominant frequency was 1701.15 ± 22.72 Hz (1679.6–1722.7 Hz) (Annexure II) .

Remark: Common anuran in PTR landscape. Breeding recorded in seasonal puddles in July. Tadpoles supposedly belonging to this species were seen in July.

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.