Uperodon globulosus (Gunther, 1864)

Deuti, Kaushik, Ray, Sukumar, Bag, Probhat & Dey, Swapan Kumar, 2017, Amphibians of the Duars area of Northern West Bengal, Records of the Zoological Survey of India 117 (3), pp. 221-241 : 227

6. Uperodon globulosus (Gunther, 1864)

1864. Cacopus globulosum Gunther, Rept. Brit. India: 416.

Common Name: Balloon Frog (English).

Specimens examined: 2 ex: A 11937 from Rajabhatkhawa, Buxa Tiger Reserve, Alipurduar district , West Bengal (26°36’839”N, 89°31’929”E) collected on 02.vi.2014 and A 12438 from Kodalbasti forest , Jalpaiguri district , West Bengal (26°38’023”N, 89°21’927”E) collected on

16.viii.2015. The measurements of the frogs collected are given below in millimeters:

Colour: Greyish-grey or reddish-brown above and dirty brown below turning to bright yellow during the breeding season.

Habitat: Largely open forest and forest fringes including villages and farms and even suburban areas.

Remarks: They are nocturnal and burrowing in habit and are rarely seen except when they come out to breed. They are excellent burrowers using the strong pedal tubercles on the hind legs to quickly disappear underground. Feeding schedule is perhaps restricted to the breeding season in early monsoon. They hop or walk clumsily on land. On being disturbed, they inhale air into their enormously distensible lungs while keeping the head downwards and the two sides of the abdomen swells like a balloon. During this time, a sticky white fluid is secreted. Reported earlier from West Bengal ( Sarkar, Biswas and Ray, 1992) and Deuti (1995).