Rhacophorus malabaricus
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| Malabar Flying Frog | ||||||||||||||||||
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 Rhacophorus in amplexus
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| Rhacophorus malabaricus Jerdon, 1870 |
The Malabar Flying Frog (Rhacophorus malabaricus) is a species of tree frog found in the Western Ghats of India. The species is green and yellow with orange webbing. They build foam nests above water and tadpoles upon hatching fall into the water below. The term flying frog is derived from the ability to break their fall in leaps by stretching the webbing between their toes.
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[edit] Description
Vomerine teeth in two straight or slightly oblique series touching the inner front edge of the choanae. Snout subacuminate, as long as the diameter of the orbit; canthus rostralis obtuse; loreal region concave; nostril nearer the end of the snout than the eye; interorbital space broader than the upper eyelid; tympanum three fifths or two thirds the diameter of the orbit. Fingers and toes webbed to the disks, which equal the tympanum; subarticular tubercles well developed. The tibio-tarsal articulation reaches the eye or the nostril. Skin finely granular above, more coarsely beneath; granules under the thighs intermixed with larger ones; outer border of forearm and tarsus with a dermal fold; heel with a triangular dermal process. Green above (purple in spirit), often speckled all over with blackish; lower parts whitish.
From snout to vent 4 inches. Males smaller than females
Can make gliding jumps of 9-12 meters, a maximum of about 115 times its length.
[edit] References
- Biju et al (2004). Rhacophorus malabaricus. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 12 May 2006. Database entry includes a range map and justification for why this species is of least concern
- Girish G. Kadadevaru and Ravishankar D. Kanamadi (2000) Courtship and nesting behaviour of the Malabar gliding frog, Rhacophorus malabaricus (Jerdon, 1870) Current Science 79(3): 377-380 PDF
- Boulenger, G. A. 1890. Fauna of British India. Reptilia and Amphibia.
[edit] External links
- http://mampam.50megs.com/coorg/pages/malabaricus_jpg.htm
- http://www.new-ecopsychology.org/en/amphibia/index-ar.htm#Miraculous_Legs
[edit] See also
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