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Type: Article
Published: 2022-02-21
Page range: 419-434
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Discovery of a new species of Euphlyctis (Anura: Dicroglossidae) from the western coastal plains of peninsular India

Zoological Survey of India (ZSI), Western Regional Centre (WRC), Pune—411044, India
Zoological Survey of India (ZSI), Western Ghats Regional Centre (WGRC), Calicut—673006, India
Mount Carmel College, Autonomous; No. 58, Palace Road, Vasanth Nagar, Bengaluru—560052, India
Zoological Survey of India (ZSI), Western Regional Centre (WRC), Pune—411044, India. Zoological Survey of India (ZSI), Western Regional Centre (WRC), Pune—411044, India
School of Biological Sciences, National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER), Bhubaneswar—752050, India
Herpetology Division, FPS Building, Zoological Survey of India (ZSI), 27 JL Nehru Road, Kolkata—700016, India
Amphibia Coastal plains Euphlyctis India skittering frog Western Ghats

Abstract

The aquatic frog genus ‘Euphlyctis’ is now considered under two separate genera- Euphlyctis Fitzinger and Phrynoderma Fitzinger, with four valid species in each genus, respectively. The current distribution range of the genus Phrynoderma is restricted to peninsular India and Bangladesh, with a probability of availability in Sri Lanka. The genus Euphlyctis has a wide range of distribution from the Arabian Peninsula and the South Asian countries, with a few historical descriptions treated as junior synonyms of the species Euphlyctis cyanophlyctis in India. A new species of skittering frog, Euphlyctis jaladhara sp. nov. is described here from the surroundings of the Thattekad Bird Sanctuary of Kerala, India, which has a predominant distribution in the western coastal plains of peninsular India and some parts of the Western Ghats. The new species has distinct morphological characters and a high genetic distance that distinguishes it from the sympatric species. Discussions are made concerning the validity of the species E. ghoshi and E. kalasgramensis.

 

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