Muduga Mountain Leaping Frog

description

Description of Holotype ZSI / WRC / A / 2211 (CESF 1607) (Fig. 2, 3). A medium sized species of Walkerana (SVL = 27.9 mm) with squat, raised body; head width (HW = 11.3 mm) sub equal to head length (HL = 10.3 mm); snout bluntly pointed (ES = 4.7 mm) in both dorsal and ventral view and more than 1.2 times of eye diameter (ED = 3.9 mm); canthus rostralis angular, loreal region concave, inter orbital space flat (IO = 3.0 mm) and sub equal to upper eye lid (UEW = 2.4 mm); nostrils oval, nearer to tip of snout than to eye; eyes relatively smaller (EL / HL = 0.37), protruding out of the head; tympanum (TYH = 2.2 mm) distinct below the supratympanic fold and 1.7 times of eye diameter; minute vomerine ridges present with 2 to 3 spinular teeth; tongue bifid with a raised papilla; symphysial knob weak. Fore arm slender (UAL = 4.7 mm) and sub equal to hand (PAL = 7.6 mm); fingers short and thin (dermal fringes distinct in the ventral view on the finger 2, 3 and 4); first finger shorter than second (f 1 = 3.7 mm and f 2 = 4.2 mm); finger tips with truncated enlarged discs with minute dorsoterminal grooves; fingers free without webbing between fingers; rounded subarticular tubercles moderate (o

A deeply divergent lineage of Walkerana (Anura: Ranixalidae) from the Western Ghats of Peninsular India

distribution

Distribution: Walkerana muduga sp. nov. is known from the Elivalmalai range, north of the Palghat Gap and south of Nilgiri Massif. Comparisons: All the described species of Walkerana are known to occur in the high elevation ranges south of the Palghat Gap. There are no congeners for Walkerana muduga sp. nov. north of the Palghat Gap. However, there is a deeply divergent lineage (CESF 1554) (see diagnosis) recovered from an adjacent massif. Walkerana muduga sp. nov. differs from the undescribed Walkerana sp. (CESF 1554) in having higher HL / SVL ratio of 0.370 to 0.405 (n = 2) (vs. lower HL / SVL ratio of 0.342 (n = 1 )); higher HW / SVL ratio of 0.397 to 0.406 (n = 2) (vs. lower HW / SVL ratio of 0.390 (n = 1 )); lower TYH / SVL ratio of 0.079 to 0.080 (n = 2) (vs. higher TYH / SVL ratio of 0.083 (n = 1 )); higher IO / SVL ratio of 0.107 to 0.109 (n = 2) (vs. lower IO / SVL ratio of 0.097 (n = 1 )); higher PAL / SVL ratio of 0.257 to 0.271 (n = 2) (vs. lower PAL / SVL ratio of 0.234 (n = 1 )); higher f 1 / SVL ratio of 0.119 to 0.133 (n = 2) (vs. lower f 1 / SVL ratio of 0.112 (n = 1 )); higher f 2 / SVL ratio of 0.131 to 0.151 (n = 2) (vs. lower f 2 / SVL ratio of 0.123 (n = 1 ));

A deeply divergent lineage of Walkerana (Anura: Ranixalidae) from the Western Ghats of Peninsular India

etymology

Etymology: The new species is named after the “ Mudugar ” indigenous community of Palghat district, Kerala who speak ‘ Muduga’ language (Menon, 1996). The species epithet is used as an invariable noun in apposition to the generic name. The suggested common name is ‘ Muduga mountain leaping frog’. Lineage diagnosis: Walkerana muduga sp. nov. can be diagnosed phylogenetically as a member of the ‘ Walkerana clade’ (Fig. 2), and exhibits 5.7 % genetic divergence from W. leptodactyla, 7.5 % divergence from W. phrynoderma and 11.7 % divergence from W. diplosticta at the 16 S rRNA fragment. The species is highly divergent in morphology from all known species (see comparison section). Phylogenetic analysis also shows another undescribed lineage from the adjacent massif (north of Elival Mala), exhibiting high genetic divergence of 3.8 % for 16 S rRNA (CESF 1554). However, due to the availability of only a single poorly preserved specimen (CESF 1554), we defer the description of this lineage.

A deeply divergent lineage of Walkerana (Anura: Ranixalidae) from the Western Ghats of Peninsular India

materials_examined

Holotype: ZSI / WRC / A / 2211 (CESF 1607), an adult male (SVL 27.9 mm) collected by S. P. Vijayakumar and team in October 2010 from Muthikulam, (N 10.945; E 76.644) a high elevation site (1544 amsl) in the hill range Elivalmala / Elivalmalai located north of Palghat Gap. Paratype: ZSI / WRC / A / 2212 (CESF 1606), an adult female (SVL 44.9 mm), collection data same as the holotype.

A deeply divergent lineage of Walkerana (Anura: Ranixalidae) from the Western Ghats of Peninsular India