A REVISED LIST OF AMPHIBIANS OF THE WESTERN GHATS

 

The voluminous and exhaustive paper of Frost et al (2006) entitled The Amphibian Tree of Life has certainly changed or at least has opened up a healthy debate in the amphibian phylogeny. The species names and list that exclusively deals with current scenario in the Western Ghats are given below based on Frost et al., (2006). According to this revised list, there are 133 species of amphibians, belonging 27 genera, 11 families, and two orders.

 

Amphibia Gray, 1825

                Gymnophiona Müller, 1832

                                Ichthyophiidae Taylor, 1968

                                                “Ichthyophis” Fitzinger, 1826

                                                Uraeotyphlus Peters, 1880 “1879”                   

Caeciliidae Rafinesque, 1814

                Gegeneophis Peters, 1880

                Indotyphlus Taylor, 1960

                Anura Fischer von Waldheim, 1831

                                Sooglossidae Noble, 1931

                                                Nasikabatrachus Biju and Bossuyt, 2003                      

Bufonidae Gray 1825

                Ansonia Stoliczka, 1870

                Bufo Laurenti, 1768

                Pedostibes Günther, 1876 “1875”

Microhylidae Günther, 1858 (1843)

                Ramanella Rao and Ramanna, 1925

                Uperodon Duméril and Bibron, 1841

        Melanobatrachinae Noble, 1931

Melanobatrachus Beddome, 1878

        Microhylinae Günther, 1858 (1843)

Kaloula Gray, 1831

Microhyla Tschudi, 1838

                                Micrixalidae Dubois, Ohler and Biju, 2001

                                                Micrixalus Boulenger, 1888

                                Petropedetidae Noble, 1931

                                                Indirana Laurent, 1986

                                Dicroglossidae Anderson, 1871

                                        Dicroglossinae Anderson, 1871

                                                Euphlyctis Fitzinger, 1843

                                                “Fejervarya” Bolkay, 1915

                                                Hoplobatrachus Peters, 1863

                                                Minervarya Dubois, Ohler and Biju, 2001

                                                Sphaerotheca Günther, 1859 “1858”

                                Rhacophoridae Hoffman, 1932 (1858)

                                        Rhacophorinae Hoffman, 1932 (1858)

                                                Philautus Gistel, 1848

                                                Polypedates Tschudi, 1838

                                                Rhacophorus Kuhl and Hasselt, 1822

                                Nyctibatrachidae Blommers-Schlösser, 1993

                                                Nyctibatrachus Boulenger, 1882

                                Ranidae Rafinesque, 1814

                                                Clinotarsus Mivart, 1869

                                                Hydrophylax Fitzinger, 1843

                                                Sylvirana Dubois, 1992

Table 1. Amphibians of the Western Ghats

Order

Family

Subfamily

Genera

Species

Endemic to WG

Gymnophiona

Caeciliidae

 

Gegeneophis

8

8

 

 

 

Indotyphlus

2

2

 

Ichthyophiidae

 

Ichthyophis

7

7

 

 

 

Uraeotyphlus

5

5

Anura

Sooglossidae

 

Nasikabatrachus

1

1

 

Bufonidae

 

Ansonia

2

2

 

 

 

Bufo

10

7

 

 

 

Pedostibes

1

1

 

Microhylidae

 

Ramanella

6

5

 

 

 

Uperodon

2

0

 

 

Melanobatrachinae

Melanobatrachus

1

1

 

 

Microhylinae

Kaloula

1

0

 

 

 

Microhyla

3

1

 

Micrixalidae

 

Micrixalus

11

11

 

Petrapedatidae

 

Indirana

10

10

 

Dicroglossidae

Dicroglossinae

Euphlyctis

2

0

 

 

 

Fejervarya

10

8

 

 

 

Hoplobatrachus

2

0

 

 

 

Minervarya

1

1

 

 

 

Sphaerotheca

4

1

 

Rhacophoridae

Rhacophorinae

Philautus

19

19

 

 

 

Polypedates

4

2

 

 

 

Rhacophorus

5

5

 

Nycitbatrachidae

 

Nyctibatrachus

12

12

 

Ranidae

 

Clinotarsus

1

1

 

 

 

Sylvirana

2

2

 

 

 

Hydrophylax

1

0

2

11

4

27

133

112

 

Table 2. Checklist of endemic amphibians of Western Ghats with IUCN criteria

Sl. No.

Name

Authority, Year

IUCN criteria1

Order: Gymnophiona

Family: Icthyophiidae

<![if !supportLists]>1.                   <![endif]> 

Ichthyophis beddomei

Peters, 1879

Least concerned

<![if !supportLists]>2.                   <![endif]> 

Ichthyophis bombayensis

Taylor, 1960

Data deficient

<![if !supportLists]>3.                   <![endif]> 

Ichthyophis longicephalus

Pillai, 1986

Data deficient

<![if !supportLists]>4.                   <![endif]> 

Ichthyophis malabarensis

Taylor, 1960

Data deficient

<![if !supportLists]>5.                   <![endif]> 

Ichthyophis peninsularis

Taylor, 1960

Data deficient

<![if !supportLists]>6.                   <![endif]> 

Ichthyophis subterrestris

Taylor, 1960

Data deficient

<![if !supportLists]>7.                   <![endif]> 

Ichthyophis tricolor

Annandale, 1909

Least concerned

<![if !supportLists]>8.                   <![endif]> 

Uraeotyphlus interruptus

Pillai & Ravichandran, 1999

Data deficient

<![if !supportLists]>9.                   <![endif]> 

Uraeotyphlus malabaricus

(Beddome, 1870)

Data deficient

<![if !supportLists]>10.                <![endif]> 

Uraeotyphlus menoni

Annandale, 1913

Data deficient

<![if !supportLists]>11.                <![endif]> 

Uraeotyphlus narayani

Seshachar, 1939

Data deficient

<![if !supportLists]>12.                <![endif]> 

Uraeotyphlus oxyurus

(Dumeril & Bibron, 1841)

Data deficient

Family: Caeciliidae

<![if !supportLists]>13.                 <![endif]> 

Gegeneophis carnosus

(Beddome, 1870)

Data deficient

<![if !supportLists]>14.                 <![endif]> 

Gegeneophis danieli

Giri, Wilkinson & Gower, 2003

Data deficient

<![if !supportLists]>15.                 <![endif]> 

Gegeneophis fulleri

(Alcock, 1904)

Data deficient

<![if !supportLists]>16.                 <![endif]> 

Gegeneophis krishnii

Pillai & Ravichandran, 1999

Data deficient

<![if !supportLists]>17.                 <![endif]> 

Gegeneophis madhavorum

Bhatta & Srinivasa, 2004

Data deficient

<![if !supportLists]>18.                 <![endif]> 

Gegeneophis nadakarnii

Bhatta & Prashanth, 2004

Data deficient

<![if !supportLists]>19.                 <![endif]> 

Gegeneophis ramaswamii

Taylor, 1964

Least concerned

<![if !supportLists]>20.                 <![endif]> 

Gegeneophis seshachari

Ravichandran, Gower and Wilkinson, 2003

Data deficient

<![if !supportLists]>21.                 <![endif]> 

Indotyphlus battersbyi

Taylor, 1960

Data deficient

<![if !supportLists]>22.                 <![endif]> 

Indotyphlus maharashtraensis

Giri, Gower & Wilkinson, 2004

Data deficient

Order: Anura

Family: Sooglossidae

<![if !supportLists]>23.                <![endif]> 

Nasikabatrachus sahyadrensis

Biju & Bossuyt, 2003

Endangered

Family: Bufonidae

<![if !supportLists]>24.                 <![endif]> 

Ansonia ornata

Günther, 1876

Endangered

<![if !supportLists]>25.                 <![endif]> 

Ansonia rubigina

Pillai & Pattabiraman, 1981

Vulnerable

<![if !supportLists]>26.                 <![endif]> 

Bufo beddomii

Günther, 1875

Endangered

<![if !supportLists]>27.                 <![endif]> 

Bufo brevirostris

Rao, 1937

Data deficient

<![if !supportLists]>28.                 <![endif]> 

Bufo hololius

Günther, 1876

Data deficient

<![if !supportLists]>29.                 <![endif]> 

Bufo koynayensis

Soman, 1963

Endangered

<![if !supportLists]>30.                 <![endif]> 

Bufo microtympanum

Boulenger, 1882

Vulnerable

<![if !supportLists]>31.                 <![endif]> 

Bufo parietalis

Boulenger, 1882

Near threatened

<![if !supportLists]>32.                 <![endif]> 

Bufo silentvalleyensis

Pillai, 1981

Data deficient

<![if !supportLists]>33.                 <![endif]> 

Pedostibes tuberculosus

Günther, 1875

Endangered

Family: Microhylidae

<![if !supportLists]>34.                 <![endif]> 

Ramanella anamalaiensis

Rao, 1937

Data deficient

<![if !supportLists]>35.                 <![endif]> 

Ramanella minor

Rao, 1937

Data deficient

<![if !supportLists]>36.                 <![endif]> 

Ramanella montana

(Jerdon, 1854)

Near threatened

<![if !supportLists]>37.                 <![endif]> 

Ramanella mormorata

Rao, 1937

Endangered

<![if !supportLists]>38.                 <![endif]> 

Ramanella triangularis

(Günther, 1876)

Vulnerable

                Subfamily: Melanobatrachinae

<![if !supportLists]>39.                 <![endif]> 

Melanobatrachus indicus

Beddome, 1878

Endangered

Subfamily: Microhylinae

<![if !supportLists]>40.                 <![endif]> 

Microhyla sholigari

Dutta & Ray, 2000

Endangered

                Family: Micrixalidae

<![if !supportLists]>41.                 <![endif]> 

Micrixalus elegans

(Rao, 1937)

Data deficient

<![if !supportLists]>42.                 <![endif]> 

Micrixalus fuscus

(Boulenger, 1882)

Near threatened

<![if !supportLists]>43.                 <![endif]> 

Micrixalus gadgili

Pillai & Pattabiraman, 1990

Endangered

<![if !supportLists]>44.                 <![endif]> 

Micrixalus kottigeharensis

(Rao, 1937)

Cr. Endangered

<![if !supportLists]>45.                 <![endif]> 

Micrixalus narainensis

(Rao, 1937)

Data deficient

<![if !supportLists]>46.                 <![endif]> 

Micrixalus nudis

Pillai, 1978

Vulnerable

<![if !supportLists]>47.                 <![endif]> 

Micrixalus phyllophilus

(Jerdon, 1853)

Vulnerable

<![if !supportLists]>48.                 <![endif]> 

Micrixalus saxicola

(Jerdon, 1853)

Vulnerable

<![if !supportLists]>49.                 <![endif]> 

Micrixalus silvaticus

(Boulenger, 1882)

Data deficient

<![if !supportLists]>50.                 <![endif]> 

Micrixalus swamianus

(Rao, 1937)

Data deficient

<![if !supportLists]>51.                 <![endif]> 

Micrixalus thampii

Pillai, 1981

Data deficient

                Family: Petropedetidae

<![if !supportLists]>52.                 <![endif]> 

Indirana beddomii

(Günther, 1876)

Least concern

<![if !supportLists]>53.                 <![endif]> 

Indirana brachytarsus

(Günther, 1876)

Endangered

<![if !supportLists]>54.                 <![endif]> 

Indirana diplostica

(Günther, 1875)

Endangered

<![if !supportLists]>55.                 <![endif]> 

Indirana gundia

(Dubois, 1986)

Cr. Endangered

<![if !supportLists]>56.                 <![endif]> 

Indirana leithii

(Boulenger, 1888)

Vulnerable

<![if !supportLists]>57.                 <![endif]> 

Indirana leptodactyla

(Boulenger, 1882)

Endangered

<![if !supportLists]>58.                 <![endif]> 

Indirana longicrus

(Rao, 1937)

Data deficient

<![if !supportLists]>59.                 <![endif]> 

Indirana phrynoderma

(Boulenger, 1882)

Cr. Endangered

<![if !supportLists]>60.                 <![endif]> 

Indirana semipalmata

(Boulenger, 1882)

Least concern

<![if !supportLists]>61.                 <![endif]> 

Indirana tenuilingua

(Rao, 1937)

Data deficient

Family: Dicroglossidae

                Sub-family: Dicroglossinae

<![if !supportLists]>62.                <![endif]> 

Fejervarya brevipalmata

(Peters, 1871)

Data deficient

<![if !supportLists]>63.                <![endif]> 

Fejervarya keralensis

(Dubois, 1980)

Least concern

<![if !supportLists]>64.                <![endif]> 

Fejervarya murthii

(Pillai, 1979)

Cr. Endangered

<![if !supportLists]>65.                <![endif]> 

Fejervarya mysorensis

(Rao, 1922)

Data deficient

<![if !supportLists]>66.                <![endif]> 

Fejervarya nilagirica

(Jerdon, 1853)

Endangered

<![if !supportLists]>67.                <![endif]> 

Fejervarya parambikulamana

(Rao, 1937)

Data deficient

<![if !supportLists]>68.                <![endif]> 

Fejervarya rufescens

(Jerdon, 1853)

Least concern

<![if !supportLists]>69.                <![endif]> 

Fejervarya sauriceps

(Rao, 1937)

Data deficient

<![if !supportLists]>70.                <![endif]> 

Minervarya sahyadris

Dubois, Ohler & Biju, 2001

Endangered

<![if !supportLists]>71.                <![endif]> 

Sphaerotheca leucorhyncus

(Rao, 1937)

Data deficient

Family: Rhacophoridae

Sub-family: Rhacophorinae

<![if !supportLists]>72.                 <![endif]> 

Philautus anili

Biju & Bossuyt, 2006

 

<![if !supportLists]>73.                 <![endif]> 

Philautus beddomii

(Günther, 1876)

Near threatened

<![if !supportLists]>74.                 <![endif]>

Philautus bobingeri

Biju & Bossuyt, 2005

Data deficient

<![if !supportLists]>75.                 <![endif]> 

Philautus bombayensis

(Annandale, 1919)

Vulnerable

<![if !supportLists]>76.                 <![endif]> 

Philautus chalazodes

(Gunther, 1876)

Cr. endangered

<![if !supportLists]>77.                 <![endif]> 

Philautus charius

Rao, 1937

Endangered

<![if !supportLists]>78.                 <![endif]> 

Philautus dubois

Biju & Bossuyt, 2006

 

<![if !supportLists]>79.                 <![endif]> 

Philautus flaviventris

(Boulenger, 1882)

Data deficient

<![if !supportLists]>80.                 <![endif]> 

Philautus glandulosus

(Jerdon, 1853)

Vulnerable

<![if !supportLists]>81.                 <![endif]> 

Philautus graminirupes

Biju & Bossuyt, 2005

Data deficient

<![if !supportLists]>82.                 <![endif]> 

Philautus griet

Bossuyt, 2003

Cr. endangered

<![if !supportLists]>83.                 <![endif]> 

Philautus luteolus

Kuramoto & Joshy, 2003

Data deficient

<![if !supportLists]>84.                 <![endif]> 

Philautus nerostagona

Biju & Bossuyt, 2005

Data deficient

<![if !supportLists]>85.                 <![endif]> 

Philautus ponmudi

Biju & Bossuyt, 2005

Data deficient

<![if !supportLists]>86.                 <![endif]> 

Philautus signatus

(Boulenger, 1882)

Endangered

<![if !supportLists]>87.                 <![endif]> 

Philautus tinniens

(Jerdon, 1853)

Endangered

<![if !supportLists]>88.                 <![endif]> 

Philautus travancoricus

(Boulenger, 1891)

Extinct

<![if !supportLists]>89.                 <![endif]> 

Philautus tuberohumerus

Kuramoto & Joshy, 2003

Data deficient

<![if !supportLists]>90.                 <![endif]> 

Philautus wynaadensis

(Jerdon, 1853)

Endangered

<![if !supportLists]>91.                 <![endif]> 

Polypedates pseudocruciger

Das & Ravichandran, 1998

Least concerned

<![if !supportLists]>92.                 <![endif]> 

Polypedates occidentalis

Das & Dutta, 2006

Data deficient

<![if !supportLists]>93.                 <![endif]> 

Rhacophorus calcadensis

Ahl, 1927

Endangered

<![if !supportLists]>94.                 <![endif]> 

Rhacophorus lateralis

Boulenger, 1883

Endangered

<![if !supportLists]>95.          <![endif]> 

Rhacophorus malabaricus

Jerdon, 1870

Least concerned

<![if !supportLists]>96.          <![endif]> 

Rhacophorus pseudomalabaricus

Vasudevan & Dutta, 2000

Cr. endangered

<![if !supportLists]>97.          <![endif]> 

Rhacophorus variabilis

(Jerdon, 1854)

Data deficient

Family: Nyctibatrachidae

<![if !supportLists]>98.                <![endif]> 

Nyctibatrachus aliciae

Inger, Shaffer, Koshy & Bakde, 1984

Endangered

<![if !supportLists]>99.                <![endif]> 

Nyctibatrachus beddomii

(Boulenger, 1882)

Endangered

<![if !supportLists]>100.             <![endif]> 

Nyctibatrachus deccanensis

Dubois, 1984

Vulnerable

<![if !supportLists]>101.             <![endif]> 

Nyctibatrachus humayuni

Bhaduri & Kripalani, 1955

Vulnerable

<![if !supportLists]>102.             <![endif]> 

Nyctibatrachus hussaini

Krishnamurthy, Reddy & Gururaja, 2001

Endangered

<![if !supportLists]>103.             <![endif]> 

Nyctibatrachus kempholeyensis

(Rao, 1937)

Data deficient

<![if !supportLists]>104.             <![endif]> 

Nyctibatrachus major

Boulenger, 1882

Vulnerable

<![if !supportLists]>105.             <![endif]> 

Nyctibatrachus minor

Inger, Shaffer, Koshy & Bakde, 1984

Endangered

<![if !supportLists]>106.             <![endif]> 

Nyctibatrachus petraeus

Kunte & Das, 2005

Data deficient

<![if !supportLists]>107.             <![endif]> 

Nyctibatrachus sanctipalustris

Rao, 1920

Endangered

<![if !supportLists]>108.             <![endif]> 

Nyctibatrachus sylvaticus

Rao, 1937

Data deficient

<![if !supportLists]>109.             <![endif]> 

Nyctibatrachus vasanthi

Ravichandran, 1997

Endangered

Family: Ranidae

<![if !supportLists]>110.             <![endif]> 

Clinotarsus curtipes

(Jerdon, 1854, “1853”)

Near threatened

<![if !supportLists]>111.             <![endif]> 

Sylvirana aurantiaca

(Boulenger, 1904)

Vulnerable

<![if !supportLists]>112.             <![endif]> 

Sylvirana temporalis

(Günther, 1864)

Near threatened

Note: 1. IUCN criteria http://www.redlist.org/info/categories_criteria2001.html

 

Table 3. Checklist of non-endemic amphibians to Western Ghats

Sl. No.

Name

Authority, Year

IUCN criteria

Family: Bufonidae

<![if !supportLists]>113.             <![endif]> 

Bufo melanostictus

Schneider, 1799

Least concerned

<![if !supportLists]>114.             <![endif]> 

Bufo scaber

Schneider, 1799

Least concerned

<![if !supportLists]>115.             <![endif]> 

Bufo stomaticus

Lutken, 1862

Least concerned

Family: Microhylidae

<![if !supportLists]>116.             <![endif]> 

Ramanella variegata

(Stoliczka, 1872)

Least concerned

<![if !supportLists]>117.             <![endif]> 

Uperdon globulosus

(Günther, 1864)

Least concerned

<![if !supportLists]>118.             <![endif]> 

Uperdon systoma

(Schneider, 1799)

Least concerned

                Sub-family: Microhylinae

<![if !supportLists]>119.             <![endif]> 

Kaloula taprobanica

(Parker, 1934)

Least concerned

<![if !supportLists]>120.             <![endif]> 

Microhyla ornata

(Dumeril & Bibron, 1841)

Least concerned

<![if !supportLists]>121.             <![endif]> 

Microhyla rubra

Jerdon, 1854

Least concerned

Family: Dicroglossidae

Sub-family: Dicroglossinae               

<![if !supportLists]>122.             <![endif]> 

Euphlyctis cyanophlyctis

(Schneider, 1799)

Least concerned

<![if !supportLists]>123.             <![endif]> 

Euphlyctis hexadactylus

(Lesson, 1834)

Least concerned

<![if !supportLists]>124.             <![endif]> 

Fejervarya limnocharis

(Gravenhorst, 1829)

Least concerned

<![if !supportLists]>125.             <![endif]> 

Fejervarya syhadrensis

(Annandale, 1919)

Least concerned

<![if !supportLists]>126.             <![endif]> 

Hoplobatrachus crassus

(Jerdon, 1853)

Least concerned

<![if !supportLists]>127.             <![endif]> 

Hoplobatrachus tigerinus

Daudin, 1803

Least concerned

<![if !supportLists]>128.             <![endif]> 

Sphaerotheca breviceps

(Schneider, 1799)

Least concerned

<![if !supportLists]>129.             <![endif]> 

Sphaerotheca dobsonii

(Boulenger, 1882)

Least concerned

<![if !supportLists]>130.             <![endif]> 

Sphaerotheca rolandae

(Dubois, 1983)

Least concerned

Family: Rhacophoridae

Sub-family: Rhacophorinae

<![if !supportLists]>131.             <![endif]> 

Polypedates leucomystax

(Gravenhorst, 1829)

Least concerned

<![if !supportLists]>132.             <![endif]> 

Polypedates maculates

(Gray, 1834)

Least concerned

Family: Ranidae

<![if !supportLists]>133.             <![endif]> 

Hydrophylax malabaricus

Tschudi, 1838

Least concerned

 

Table 4. Species earlier present in the Western Ghats, now in Sri Lanka

<![if !supportLists]>134.          <![endif]> 

Philautus leucorhinus

Extinct

<![if !supportLists]>135.          <![endif]> 

Philautus variabilis

Extinct

<![if !supportLists]>136.          <![endif]> 

Philautus femoralis

Endangered

<![if !supportLists]>137.          <![endif]> 

Philautus temporalis

Extinct

<![if !supportLists]>138.          <![endif]> 

Philautus adspersus

Extinct

<![if !supportLists]>139.          <![endif]> 

Philautus nasutus

Extinct

 

Table 4. Species that lost identity after 2001.

 

<![if !supportLists]>140.          <![endif]> 

Philautus pulcherrimus

<![if !supportLists]>141.          <![endif]> 

Philautus crnri

<![if !supportLists]>142.          <![endif]> 

Philautus hassanensis

<![if !supportLists]>143.          <![endif]> 

Philautus melanensis

<![if !supportLists]>144.          <![endif]> 

Philautus nobeli

<![if !supportLists]>145.          <![endif]> 

Philautus parkeri

<![if !supportLists]>146.          <![endif]> 

Philautus punctatus

 

Reference:

Frost DR, Grant T,  Faivovich J, Bain RH, Haas A, Haddad CFB, De Sá RO, Channing A, Wilkinson M, Donnellan SC, Raxworthy CJ, Moler P, Drewes RC, Nussbaum RA, Lynch JD, Green DM, Wheeler WC. 2006. The Amphibian Tree of Life. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 297: 370pp.  www.calacademy.org/research/Herpetology/pdfs/amphibian_tree.pdf