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

                                                IchthyophisFitzinger, 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

                                                FejervaryaBolkay, 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

1.                    

Ichthyophis beddomei

Peters, 1879

Least concerned

2.                    

Ichthyophis bombayensis

Taylor, 1960

Data deficient

3.                    

Ichthyophis longicephalus

Pillai, 1986

Data deficient

4.                    

Ichthyophis malabarensis

Taylor, 1960

Data deficient

5.                    

Ichthyophis peninsularis

Taylor, 1960

Data deficient

6.                    

Ichthyophis subterrestris

Taylor, 1960

Data deficient

7.                    

Ichthyophis tricolor

Annandale, 1909

Least concerned

8.                    

Uraeotyphlus interruptus

Pillai & Ravichandran, 1999

Data deficient

9.                    

Uraeotyphlus malabaricus

(Beddome, 1870)

Data deficient

10.                 

Uraeotyphlus menoni

Annandale, 1913

Data deficient

11.                 

Uraeotyphlus narayani

Seshachar, 1939

Data deficient

12.                 

Uraeotyphlus oxyurus

(Dumeril & Bibron, 1841)

Data deficient

Family: Caeciliidae

13.                  

Gegeneophis carnosus

(Beddome, 1870)

Data deficient

14.                  

Gegeneophis danieli

Giri, Wilkinson & Gower, 2003

Data deficient

15.                  

Gegeneophis fulleri

(Alcock, 1904)

Data deficient

16.                  

Gegeneophis krishnii

Pillai & Ravichandran, 1999

Data deficient

17.                  

Gegeneophis madhavorum

Bhatta & Srinivasa, 2004

Data deficient

18.                  

Gegeneophis nadakarnii

Bhatta & Prashanth, 2004

Data deficient

19.                  

Gegeneophis ramaswamii

Taylor, 1964

Least concerned

20.                  

Gegeneophis seshachari

Ravichandran, Gower and Wilkinson, 2003

Data deficient

21.                  

Indotyphlus battersbyi

Taylor, 1960

Data deficient

22.                  

Indotyphlus maharashtraensis

Giri, Gower & Wilkinson, 2004

Data deficient

Order: Anura

Family: Sooglossidae

23.                 

Nasikabatrachus sahyadrensis

Biju & Bossuyt, 2003

Endangered

Family: Bufonidae

24.                  

Ansonia ornata

Günther, 1876

Endangered

25.                  

Ansonia rubigina

Pillai & Pattabiraman, 1981

Vulnerable

26.                  

Bufo beddomii

Günther, 1875

Endangered

27.                  

Bufo brevirostris

Rao, 1937

Data deficient

28.                  

Bufo hololius

Günther, 1876

Data deficient

29.                  

Bufo koynayensis

Soman, 1963

Endangered

30.                  

Bufo microtympanum

Boulenger, 1882

Vulnerable

31.                  

Bufo parietalis

Boulenger, 1882

Near threatened

32.                  

Bufo silentvalleyensis

Pillai, 1981

Data deficient

33.                  

Pedostibes tuberculosus

Günther, 1875

Endangered

Family: Microhylidae

34.                  

Ramanella anamalaiensis

Rao, 1937

Data deficient

35.                  

Ramanella minor

Rao, 1937

Data deficient

36.                  

Ramanella montana

(Jerdon, 1854)

Near threatened

37.                  

Ramanella mormorata

Rao, 1937

Endangered

38.                  

Ramanella triangularis

(Günther, 1876)

Vulnerable

                Subfamily: Melanobatrachinae

39.                  

Melanobatrachus indicus

Beddome, 1878

Endangered

Subfamily: Microhylinae

40.                  

Microhyla sholigari

Dutta & Ray, 2000

Endangered

                Family: Micrixalidae

41.                  

Micrixalus elegans

(Rao, 1937)

Data deficient

42.                  

Micrixalus fuscus

(Boulenger, 1882)

Near threatened

43.                  

Micrixalus gadgili

Pillai & Pattabiraman, 1990

Endangered

44.                  

Micrixalus kottigeharensis

(Rao, 1937)

Cr. Endangered

45.                  

Micrixalus narainensis

(Rao, 1937)

Data deficient

46.                  

Micrixalus nudis

Pillai, 1978

Vulnerable

47.                  

Micrixalus phyllophilus

(Jerdon, 1853)

Vulnerable

48.                  

Micrixalus saxicola

(Jerdon, 1853)

Vulnerable

49.                  

Micrixalus silvaticus

(Boulenger, 1882)

Data deficient

50.                  

Micrixalus swamianus

(Rao, 1937)

Data deficient

51.                  

Micrixalus thampii

Pillai, 1981

Data deficient

                Family: Petropedetidae

52.                  

Indirana beddomii

(Günther, 1876)

Least concern

53.                  

Indirana brachytarsus

(Günther, 1876)

Endangered

54.                  

Indirana diplostica

(Günther, 1875)

Endangered

55.                  

Indirana gundia

(Dubois, 1986)

Cr. Endangered

56.                  

Indirana leithii

(Boulenger, 1888)

Vulnerable

57.                  

Indirana leptodactyla

(Boulenger, 1882)

Endangered

58.                  

Indirana longicrus

(Rao, 1937)

Data deficient

59.                  

Indirana phrynoderma

(Boulenger, 1882)

Cr. Endangered

60.                  

Indirana semipalmata

(Boulenger, 1882)

Least concern

61.                  

Indirana tenuilingua

(Rao, 1937)

Data deficient

Family: Dicroglossidae

                Sub-family: Dicroglossinae

62.                 

Fejervarya brevipalmata

(Peters, 1871)

Data deficient

63.                 

Fejervarya keralensis

(Dubois, 1980)

Least concern

64.                 

Fejervarya murthii

(Pillai, 1979)

Cr. Endangered

65.                 

Fejervarya mysorensis

(Rao, 1922)

Data deficient

66.                 

Fejervarya nilagirica

(Jerdon, 1853)

Endangered

67.                 

Fejervarya parambikulamana

(Rao, 1937)

Data deficient

68.                 

Fejervarya rufescens

(Jerdon, 1853)

Least concern

69.                 

Fejervarya sauriceps

(Rao, 1937)

Data deficient

70.                 

Minervarya sahyadris

Dubois, Ohler & Biju, 2001

Endangered

71.                 

Sphaerotheca leucorhyncus

(Rao, 1937)

Data deficient

Family: Rhacophoridae

Sub-family: Rhacophorinae

72.                  

Philautus anili

Biju & Bossuyt, 2006

 

73.                  

Philautus beddomii

(Günther, 1876)

Near threatened

74.                

Philautus bobingeri

Biju & Bossuyt, 2005

Data deficient

75.                  

Philautus bombayensis

(Annandale, 1919)

Vulnerable

76.                  

Philautus chalazodes

(Gunther, 1876)

Cr. endangered

77.                  

Philautus charius

Rao, 1937

Endangered

78.                  

Philautus dubois

Biju & Bossuyt, 2006

 

79.                  

Philautus flaviventris

(Boulenger, 1882)

Data deficient

80.                  

Philautus glandulosus

(Jerdon, 1853)

Vulnerable

81.                  

Philautus graminirupes

Biju & Bossuyt, 2005

Data deficient

82.                  

Philautus griet

Bossuyt, 2003

Cr. endangered

83.                  

Philautus luteolus

Kuramoto & Joshy, 2003

Data deficient

84.                  

Philautus nerostagona

Biju & Bossuyt, 2005

Data deficient

85.                  

Philautus ponmudi

Biju & Bossuyt, 2005

Data deficient

86.                  

Philautus signatus

(Boulenger, 1882)

Endangered

87.                  

Philautus tinniens

(Jerdon, 1853)

Endangered

88.                  

Philautus travancoricus

(Boulenger, 1891)

Extinct

89.                  

Philautus tuberohumerus

Kuramoto & Joshy, 2003

Data deficient

90.                  

Philautus wynaadensis

(Jerdon, 1853)

Endangered

91.                  

Polypedates pseudocruciger

Das & Ravichandran, 1998

Least concerned

92.                  

Polypedates occidentalis

Das & Dutta, 2006

Data deficient

93.                  

Rhacophorus calcadensis

Ahl, 1927

Endangered

94.                  

Rhacophorus lateralis

Boulenger, 1883

Endangered

95.           

Rhacophorus malabaricus

Jerdon, 1870

Least concerned

96.           

Rhacophorus pseudomalabaricus

Vasudevan & Dutta, 2000

Cr. endangered

97.           

Rhacophorus variabilis

(Jerdon, 1854)

Data deficient

Family: Nyctibatrachidae

98.                 

Nyctibatrachus aliciae

Inger, Shaffer, Koshy & Bakde, 1984

Endangered

99.                 

Nyctibatrachus beddomii

(Boulenger, 1882)

Endangered

100.              

Nyctibatrachus deccanensis

Dubois, 1984

Vulnerable

101.              

Nyctibatrachus humayuni

Bhaduri & Kripalani, 1955

Vulnerable

102.              

Nyctibatrachus hussaini

Krishnamurthy, Reddy & Gururaja, 2001

Endangered

103.              

Nyctibatrachus kempholeyensis

(Rao, 1937)

Data deficient

104.              

Nyctibatrachus major

Boulenger, 1882

Vulnerable

105.              

Nyctibatrachus minor

Inger, Shaffer, Koshy & Bakde, 1984

Endangered

106.              

Nyctibatrachus petraeus

Kunte & Das, 2005

Data deficient

107.              

Nyctibatrachus sanctipalustris

Rao, 1920

Endangered

108.              

Nyctibatrachus sylvaticus

Rao, 1937

Data deficient

109.              

Nyctibatrachus vasanthi

Ravichandran, 1997

Endangered

Family: Ranidae

110.              

Clinotarsus curtipes

(Jerdon, 1854, “1853”)

Near threatened

111.              

Sylvirana aurantiaca

(Boulenger, 1904)

Vulnerable

112.              

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

113.              

Bufo melanostictus

Schneider, 1799

Least concerned

114.              

Bufo scaber

Schneider, 1799

Least concerned

115.              

Bufo stomaticus

Lutken, 1862

Least concerned

Family: Microhylidae

116.              

Ramanella variegata

(Stoliczka, 1872)

Least concerned

117.              

Uperdon globulosus

(Günther, 1864)

Least concerned

118.              

Uperdon systoma

(Schneider, 1799)

Least concerned

                Sub-family: Microhylinae

119.              

Kaloula taprobanica

(Parker, 1934)

Least concerned

120.              

Microhyla ornata

(Dumeril & Bibron, 1841)

Least concerned

121.              

Microhyla rubra

Jerdon, 1854

Least concerned

Family: Dicroglossidae

Sub-family: Dicroglossinae               

122.              

Euphlyctis cyanophlyctis

(Schneider, 1799)

Least concerned

123.              

Euphlyctis hexadactylus

(Lesson, 1834)

Least concerned

124.              

Fejervarya limnocharis

(Gravenhorst, 1829)

Least concerned

125.              

Fejervarya syhadrensis

(Annandale, 1919)

Least concerned

126.              

Hoplobatrachus crassus

(Jerdon, 1853)

Least concerned

127.              

Hoplobatrachus tigerinus

Daudin, 1803

Least concerned

128.              

Sphaerotheca breviceps

(Schneider, 1799)

Least concerned

129.              

Sphaerotheca dobsonii

(Boulenger, 1882)

Least concerned

130.              

Sphaerotheca rolandae

(Dubois, 1983)

Least concerned

Family: Rhacophoridae

Sub-family: Rhacophorinae

131.              

Polypedates leucomystax

(Gravenhorst, 1829)

Least concerned

132.              

Polypedates maculates

(Gray, 1834)

Least concerned

Family: Ranidae

133.              

Hydrophylax malabaricus

Tschudi, 1838

Least concerned

 

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

134.           

Philautus leucorhinus

Extinct

135.           

Philautus variabilis

Extinct

136.           

Philautus femoralis

Endangered

137.           

Philautus temporalis

Extinct

138.           

Philautus adspersus

Extinct

139.           

Philautus nasutus

Extinct

 

Table 4. Species that lost identity after 2001.

 

140.           

Philautus pulcherrimus

141.           

Philautus crnri

142.           

Philautus hassanensis

143.           

Philautus melanensis

144.           

Philautus nobeli

145.           

Philautus parkeri

146.           

Philautus punctatus

 

Reference:

Frost DR, Grant T,  Faivovich J, Bain RH, Haas A, Haddad CFB, De 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