Duttaphrynus stomaticus (Lütken)

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 : 457

Duttaphrynus stomaticus (Lütken)

( Fig 4C )

Specimen examined: one male (WIIAD 651).

Morphological characters: Adult male SVL 47.5 mm (n=1); head is wider than long; parotid glands elongated and flat; snout obtuse in lateral view; tympanum prominent, slightly more than half the diameter of eye; skin lacks horny warts, speculated on top and warty on lateral and hind side of body; fore limbs moderate and stout; fingers free of web, relative length of fingers II <IV <I <III; toes scarcely webbed, relative length of toes 1<2<5<3<4, inner metatarsal tubercle with sharp edges. Calling males had single subgular and highly distensible vocal sac. Coloration in life: Dorsum grey to olive brown with mixed grey blotches; upper lips white; upper surface of fore and hind limbs brown with light grey bands; fingertips black; ventral side of body pale white. Vocal sac of calling males was white to yellowish.

Bioacoustics: 30 advertisement calls from three males were analysed. Males were calling near the bank of puddles and calls were recorded between 22:30–00:30 hours in July (calling site air temperature was between 26.1°C–29.5°C). Single type pulsatile advertisement calls were delivered in mostly regular intervals. D. stomaticus had notes within call (sub unit of call) and had pulses within notes. This acoustic character was absent in other sympatric Duttaphrynus species found in PTR. The mean call duration was 259.6 ± 41.33 ms (169–351 ms) and mean note duration 25.47 ± 4.49 ms (21–34 ms). Mean pulse rate was 98.88 ± 8.09 pulses/s (83.33–114.16 pulses/s) with mean number of pulses 25.57 ± 4.26 (16–35) per call. The mean dominant frequency was 2571.07 ± 183.11 Hz (2411.70–2885.40 Hz).

Remark: Common in PTR landscape. Breeding and egg laying (strings of eggs) were seen in seasonal shallow puddles in agricultural fields 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.