Ramanella montana
Encyclopedia
Jerdon's Narrow-mouthed Frog (Ramanella montana) is a species of Microhylid
frog found in the Western Ghats
of India.
The frogs of the genus
Ramanella
are small and characteristically have discs on their fingers but lack them on the toes. The toes have some webbing. The typical habitat
in which this frog is found are tree holes in the rainy season in moist deciduous forest to Evergreen forest
. They have smooth but bumpy skin. The upper side is brown with dark spots. The snout to vent length is 34-36mm. Males have a single subgular vocal sac that is expanded to a sphere when they call. They call after heavy rains during June or July. They begin calling after sunset and continue all night while the males float on water in small ponds. Females approach calling males and they display axillary amplexus
during mating. They aestivate in summer.
is not fully known but is found in most of the Western Ghats
from the Dangs to southern Kerala. This species is found in Moist deciduous forest, Semi-evergreen forest and Evergreen forest
. Rain-water filled tree holes are the favoured microhabitat of these frogs.
The egg masses of most Indian microhylids float on the water but those of R. montana are attached to the tree trunk just above water level or placed on the surface of a floating leaf.
The calls sounds like brong ... brong... brong and the calling is prolonged but stops when disturbed. The amplexus of the pair is in water with the male holding the female behind at her armpit (axillary amplexus).
Microhylidae
Microhylidae is a geographically widespread family of frogs. There are 413 species in 69 genera and nine subfamilies, which is the largest number of genera of any frog family.-Description:...
frog found in the Western Ghats
Western Ghats
The Western Ghats, Western Ghauts or the Sahyādri is a mountain range along the western side of India. It runs north to south along the western edge of the Deccan Plateau, and separates the plateau from a narrow coastal plain along the Arabian Sea. The Western Ghats block rainfall to the Deccan...
of India.
Description
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
Ramanella
Ramanella
Ramanella is a genus of microhylid frogs from India and Sri Lanka. Frogs in this genus are small and characteristically have discs on their fingers but lack them on the toes.The three Indian species are identifiable as follows:...
are small and characteristically have discs on their fingers but lack them on the toes. The toes have some webbing. The typical habitat
Habitat (ecology)
A habitat is an ecological or environmental area that is inhabited by a particular species of animal, plant or other type of organism...
in which this frog is found are tree holes in the rainy season in moist deciduous forest to Evergreen forest
Evergreen forest
An temperate evergreen forest is a forest consisting entirely or mainly of evergreen trees that retain green foliage all year round. Such forests exist in the tropics primarily as broadleaf evergreens, and in temperate and boreal latitudes primarily as coniferous evergreens.-Tropical evergreen...
. They have smooth but bumpy skin. The upper side is brown with dark spots. The snout to vent length is 34-36mm. Males have a single subgular vocal sac that is expanded to a sphere when they call. They call after heavy rains during June or July. They begin calling after sunset and continue all night while the males float on water in small ponds. Females approach calling males and they display axillary amplexus
Amplexus
Amplexus is a form of pseudocopulation in which a male amphibian grasps a female with his front legs as part of the mating process...
during mating. They aestivate in summer.
Distribution
The distribution of this frogFrog
Frogs are amphibians in the order Anura , formerly referred to as Salientia . Most frogs are characterized by a short body, webbed digits , protruding eyes and the absence of a tail...
is not fully known but is found in most of the Western Ghats
Western Ghats
The Western Ghats, Western Ghauts or the Sahyādri is a mountain range along the western side of India. It runs north to south along the western edge of the Deccan Plateau, and separates the plateau from a narrow coastal plain along the Arabian Sea. The Western Ghats block rainfall to the Deccan...
from the Dangs to southern Kerala. This species is found in Moist deciduous forest, Semi-evergreen forest and Evergreen forest
Evergreen forest
An temperate evergreen forest is a forest consisting entirely or mainly of evergreen trees that retain green foliage all year round. Such forests exist in the tropics primarily as broadleaf evergreens, and in temperate and boreal latitudes primarily as coniferous evergreens.-Tropical evergreen...
. Rain-water filled tree holes are the favoured microhabitat of these frogs.
The egg masses of most Indian microhylids float on the water but those of R. montana are attached to the tree trunk just above water level or placed on the surface of a floating leaf.
The calls sounds like brong ... brong... brong and the calling is prolonged but stops when disturbed. The amplexus of the pair is in water with the male holding the female behind at her armpit (axillary amplexus).