Minervarya caperata (Kuramoto, Joshy, Kurabayashi, and Sumida)

Prasad, Vishal Kumar, Gautam, Kumudani Bala, Gupta, Sandeep Kumar, Murthy, R. Sreenivasa, Ramesh, K., Shinde, Ajinkya Duttatray & Das, Abhijit, 2020, Identification of anuran species diversity of the Panna Tiger Reserve, Central India, using an integrated approach, Zootaxa 4851 (3), pp. 450-476 : 458

Minervarya caperata (Kuramoto, Joshy, Kurabayashi, and Sumida)

( Fig 4E )

Specimens examined: three males (WIIAD 237, WIIAD 256–257), two individuals with sex undetermined (WIIAD 274, WIIAD 277).

Morphological features: Adult males SVL 27.5–36.1 mm (n=3) and individuals (sex unknown) SVL 25.8– 25.9 mm (n=2); body slender with dermal ridges; head slightly longer than wide; snout slightly pointed in dorsal view; tympanum slightly more than ½ the diameter of eye, supratympanic fold distinct; dorsal skin glandular with series of broadly four longitudinal ridges, fejervaryan lines present on abdomen; fingers tip rounded, relative length of fingers IV <II <I <III; toes tips rounded, toes relative length 1<2<5<3<4. Calling males have bilobate subgular vocal sac. Coloration in life: Dorsum grey or brown with light brown tubercles; darker longitudinal ridges; flank covered with dark grey blotches; upper and lower jaws marked with dark bands; limbs cross barred with dark bands; groin region pale yellow; ventral of thighs pinkish; throat black (males during breeding season); abdomen white. Calling males had black vocal sac. Variation: WIIAD 237 had large bright orange mid-vertebral band.

Bioacoustics: We analysed 30 advertisement calls from three males, calls were recorded between 21:30–00:00 hours in July and August; and calling location air temperature was between 26.2°C–31.7°C. Males of M. caperata called in chorus hidden under the leaves and grass blades near the banks of muddy drains and puddles monsoonal rains. The mean call duration was 130.60 ± 25.49 ms (101–200 ms) with pulse rate of 113.37 ± 3.34 pulses/s (107.69–118.81 pulses/s) and mean of 14.63 ± 2.74 pulses delivered per call. The mean dominant frequency was 2094.48 ± 309.41 Hz (1938–3703.70 Hz).

Remark: M. caperata is a common frog in PTR landscape and was seen breeding in waterlogged open grasslands in July. It is a morphologically cryptic species so we performed genetic analysis and our 16S sequence matched with M. caperata from Karnataka in Western Ghats ( Fig 8A ). It was earlier known from its type locality in Karnoor in Karnataka. The present study provides its first state record for Madhya Pradesh. This new record is approximately 1070 km (aerial distance) northwards from its type locality.

Figures

FIGURE 4. Photos of anuran species in life recorded during the study:A) Duttaphrynus melanostictus; B) Duttaphrynus scaber; C) Duttaphrynus stomaticus; D) Fejervarya orissaensis; E) Minervarya caperata; F) Minervarya pierrei; G) Euphlyctis cyanophlyctis; H) Hoplobatrachus crassus; I) Hoplobatrachus tigerinus; J) Sphaerotheca pashchima; K) Microhyla nilphamariensis; L) Uperodon globulosus; M) Uperodon systoma; N) Uperodon variegatus; O) Polypedates maculatus. Red star indicates new state records for Madhya Pradesh.

FIGURE 8A. Maximum Likelihood tree based on the 16S mitochondrial DNA dataset (nodes having>50% bootstrap values are shown) of genera A. Fejervarya and Minervarya.