Raorchestes griet
Raorchestes griet is a species of frog in the family Rhacophoridae. It is endemic to the Western Ghats south of the Palghat Gap in Kerala and Tamil Nadu states, India. The specific name griet honours Griet Decock, spouse of Franky Bossuyt, the scientist who described the species.[3][4] Common name Griet bush frog has been coined for it.[2][4]
| Raorchestes griet | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Amphibia |
| Order: | Anura |
| Family: | Rhacophoridae |
| Genus: | Raorchestes |
| Species: | R. griet |
| Binomial name | |
| Raorchestes griet Bossuyt, 2002 | |
 | |
| Distribution of Raorchestes griet | |
| Synonyms[2] | |
|
Philautus griet Bossuyt, 2002[3] | |
Description
Adult males measure 20–22 mm (0.8–0.9 in)[3][5] and adult females, based on a single specimen, 22 mm (0.9 in) in snout–vent length.[5] The snout is rounded. The tympanum is indistinct, but the supratympanic fold is prominent. The fingers have well-developed discs and dermal fringes but no webbing. The toes have discs and rudimentary webbing. Skin of snout bears small horny spines, and there are horny ridges between eyes, arranged in triangle. Dorsal skin is covered with small horny spines.[3] The dorsum is light greyish brown, light brownish grey, or light-reddish brown. Dark or light red markings may be present.[5]
Habitat and conservation
Raorchestes griet has been observed in roadside vegetation near isolated forest patches or in plantations near forests at about 600–1,800 m (2,000–5,900 ft) above sea level.[5] It is nocturnal[5] and arboreal.[1] Males call from ground level up to two metres above the ground.[5]
This species can be locally abundant, but it is threatened by habitat fragmentation.[1]
References
- S.D. Biju (2004). "Raorchestes griet". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2004: e.T58849A11849452. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2004.RLTS.T58849A11849452.en. Retrieved 14 November 2021.
- Frost, Darrel R. (2018). "Raorchestes griet (Bossuyt, 2002)". Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0. American Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 29 June 2018.
- Bossuyt, Franky (2002). "A new species of Philautus (Anura: Ranidae) from the Western Ghats of India". Journal of Herpetology. 36 (4): 656–661. doi:10.2307/1565937. JSTOR 1565937.
- Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael & Grayson, Michael (2013). The Eponym Dictionary of Amphibians. Pelagic Publishing. p. 84. ISBN 978-1-907807-42-8.
- Biju, S. D. & Bossuyt, Franky (2009). "Systematics and phylogeny of Philautus Gistel, 1848 (Anura, Rhacophoridae) in the Western Ghats of India, with descriptions of 12 new species". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 155 (2): 374–444. doi:10.1111/j.1096-3642.2008.00466.x.
