Duttaphrynus scaber (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 scaber (Schneider)

( Figure 4B )

Specimens examined: two males (WIIAD 224 & WIIAD 236) and one female (WII AD 241).

Morphological characters: Adult males SVL 23.7–26 mm (n=2) and female SVL 31.9 mm; body small; head slightly wider than long (see table 3); distinct parietal ridges on head; snout obtuse from lateral view; pupil round; tympanum round, more than ½ the diameter of eye; dorsal skin rough with series of cornified warts on lateral sides; fingers relative length I = II <IV <III, finger tips rounded and without discs; relative length of toes 1<2<3<5<4, inner metatarsal tubercle elongated and distinct. Calling males had single subgular and highly distensible vocal sac. Coloration in life: Dorsum olive brown to fawn color with dark brown irregular spots. Prominent orange tipped warts on the lateral sides of body; iris golden; hind limbs cross-barred with dark brown color; throat and vocal sac is orange to dark yellowish (calling males); ventral side of body pale white.

Bioacoustics: We measured 30 advertisement calls from three males. They were observed calling from the edge of ponds and puddles between 23:30–02:00 hours in July at air temperature between 28.7–29.8 °C. All calling males produced single type pulsatile advertisement calls at mostly regular intervals. The mean call duration was 229.77 ± 30.24 ms (172–280 ms) which was longest among its congeners and mean pulse rate was 31.76 ± 1.89 pulses/s (28.69–34.48 pulses/s) with mean 7.6 ± 0.72 (6–9) pulses per call. The mean dominant frequency was 3514.2 ± 201.26 Hz (3230–3746.8 Hz).

Remark: Common in PTR landscape. Breeding was observed in seasonal ponds and waterfilled roadside excavations in July 2017. The present study represents the first confirmed record of D. scaber from Madhya Pradesh state. This is also its record of northern most range. Its earlier neighboring record is from Dang in Gujarat ( Padhye et al. 2013) and Purba in West Bengal ( Mahapatra & Ghorai 2019).

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.