Sphaerotheca dobsonii (Boulenger, 1882)

Mudke, Madhushri, Gururaja, K. V., Aravind, Neelvara & Singal, Ramit, 2020, Annotated list of anurans from the lateritic plateau of western India with notes on malformations, Check List 16 (3), pp. 685-698 : 693

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.15560/16.3.685
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/E43A3710-FFFB-7E62-FCCB-674739D9E231
treatment provided by	Marcus
scientific name	Sphaerotheca dobsonii (Boulenger, 1882)
status

Treatment

New records. INDIA • Karnataka: Udupi: Manipal, End Point , site code B (13.3704°N, 074.7849°E), obs. by MM and RS, 4 Jul. 2017, 3 individuals. Fig. 3I GoogleMaps .

Identification. The SVL is up to 60 mm. This is a fossorial frog, and we recorded only three individuals, two males and one female from different sampling points. This species has a prominent metatarsal tubercle (a digging apparatus) on its hind limbs. The body is uniquely rotund, with relatively short limbs. The hind limbs appear to be much stronger than fore limbs. The dorsum is distinctive, light brownish. The ventral side is cream-colored with some brown-black pigmentation on the sides. Webbing is present on the toes of the hind feet. There is no webbing between the fingers ( Gururaja 2012).

Habitat. This species was found on leaf litter of secondary forests or on the edges of pools with abundant to no canopy cover.

Distribution. This frog is endemic to the southern West- ern Ghats.