Polypedates pseudocruciger Das & Ravichandran, 1998

Mudke, Madhushri, Gururaja, K. V., Aravind, Neelvara & Singal, Ramit, 2020, Annotated list of anurans from the lateritic plateau of western India with notes on malformations, Check List 16 (3), pp. 685-698 : 695

Polypedates pseudocruciger Das & Ravichandran, 1998

New records. INDIA • Karnataka: Udupi: Manipal, Shanthinagar , site code J (13.3269°N, 074.7968°E), obs. by MM and RS, 1 Jun. 2017, 9 individuals, MN 953001 and MN 953002 . Fig. 3Q.

Identification. The SVL is 47.5–55.1 mm. This species

is a large-bodied, pale, tree frog with large eyes and tympanum. It can be confused with P. occidentalis Das & Dutta, 2006 , a species known only from its type locality in the state of Kerala. Morphologically P. pseudocruciger differs from P. occidentalis by to the presence of a cutaneous spur on the heel. Also, P. occidentalis has nuptial pad on fingers 1 and 2, whereas P. pseudocruciger has a single nuptial pad on the first fingers of both forelimbs.

Habitat. This is an arboreal species but is often found on the edges of pools and waterlogged paddy fields where the males come on the ground and use bunds and muddy crevices to vocalize. During peak monsoon season, several frogs were seen calling from the ground instead of trees and shrubs in the study area.

Distribution. This frog is endemic to the southern West- ern Ghats in the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu.