Ramanella variegata
Encyclopedia
Ramanella variegata sometimes called the termite nest frog, variable ramanella or white-bellied pug snout frog is a species of narrow-mouthed frog
found in India
and Sri Lanka. They are seen mostly in the monsoon
season when they may enter homes. They are small in size and the variegated markings and the genus characteristic of having pads on the fingertips but not on their toes make them easy to identify.
This species is small and often can be found indoors in homes. The discs on the fingers are triangular. Toes have rudimentary webbing with two metatarsal tubercles. The tibio-tarsal joint reaches shoulder when the hind leg is held along the body. They breed during the rainy season (April-October) and call during this time. Males call at night while afloat in water. They have a single subgular vocal sac
. The call has been transcribed as ghauy ghauy. The tadpole
s are brown or gray with black spots. Sometimes they have a blue spot on each side of the body. The tadpoles are bottom feeders and metamorphose
within a month.
They breed in water in dark cavities and are often found in termite mounds or under stones. Recorded mainly from peninsular India including the dry zone being found even in Madras and West Bengal. They have been found to be quite tolerant to water salinity.
They have been found to occur with large black scorpions Heterometrus
sp. and when disturbed they crawl over the scorpions but flattened and froze when the scorpions walked over them. They can burrow in soft soil.
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:...
found in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and Sri Lanka. They are seen mostly in the monsoon
Monsoon
Monsoon is traditionally defined as a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation, but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with the asymmetric heating of land and sea...
season when they may enter homes. They are small in size and the variegated markings and the genus characteristic of having pads on the fingertips but not on their toes make them easy to identify.
Description
Vocal sac
The vocal sac is the flexible membrane of skin possessed by most male frogs. The purpose of the vocal sac is usually as an amplification of their mating or advertisement call...
. The call has been transcribed as ghauy ghauy. The tadpole
Tadpole
A tadpole or polliwog is the wholly aquatic larval stage in the life cycle of an amphibian, particularly that of a frog or toad.- Appellation :...
s are brown or gray with black spots. Sometimes they have a blue spot on each side of the body. The tadpoles are bottom feeders and metamorphose
Metamorphosis
Metamorphosis is a biological process by which an animal physically develops after birth or hatching, involving a conspicuous and relatively abrupt change in the animal's body structure through cell growth and differentiation...
within a month.
They breed in water in dark cavities and are often found in termite mounds or under stones. Recorded mainly from peninsular India including the dry zone being found even in Madras and West Bengal. They have been found to be quite tolerant to water salinity.
They have been found to occur with large black scorpions Heterometrus
Heterometrus
Heterometrus, which members are also known by the collective vernacular name giant forest scorpions, is a genus of scorpion belonging to the family Scorpionidae. It is distributed widely across tropical and subtropical southeastern Asia, including Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, as well as...
sp. and when disturbed they crawl over the scorpions but flattened and froze when the scorpions walked over them. They can burrow in soft soil.