Systematics and phylogeny of Philautus Gistel, 1848 (Anura, Rhacophoridae) in the Western Ghats of India, with descriptions of 12 new species
Author
Biju, S. D.
Author
Bossuyt, Franky
text
Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society
2009
2009-02-28
155
2
374
444
https://academic.oup.com/zoolinnean/article-lookup/doi/10.1111/j.1096-3642.2008.00466.x
journal article
10.1111/j.1096-3642.2008.00466.x
0024-4082
5445358
PHILAUTUS WYNAADENSIS
JERDON, 1853
(
FIGS 2
,
9
,
59D
,
64A–C
,
65A, B; TABLE
2)
Type material:
Neotype
,
MNHN 1999.5596
, an adult male,
SVL
28.3 mm
, from ‘
Sultan’s Battery’
(i.e. Sulthanbathery),
Wayanad
,
Kerala
,
India
.
Other material studied:
BNHS 4551
and
BNHS 4552
,
two adult
males, and
BNHS 4556
, an adult female, from Kalpetta;
BNHS 4553
and
BNHS 4554
,
two adult
males, from Sulthanbathery;
BNHS 4555
, an adult male, from Mananthavady;
BNHS 4550
, an adult male, from Mettupalayam (
Table 2
).
Diagnosis:
Philautus wynaadensis
can be distinguished from known congeners by the following combination of characters: (1) medium adult size (SVL 25.7 ±
1.5 mm
,
N
= 7, male; SVL
27.2 mm
,
N
= 1, female); (2) body rather slender; (3) snout subelliptical in ventral view; (4) upper two-thirds of tympanum dark black; (5) dorsum with spinular projections.
Philautus wynaadensis
can be confused with
P. amboli
sp. nov.
and
P. kani
sp. nov.
(see both those species for comparisons).
Description of the
neotype
:
A detailed description of the
neotype
was published in
Bossuyt & Dubois (2001)
.
Variation:
Measurements of
eight specimens
including the
neotype
are given in
Table 2
. This species shows some colour variation, even within the same population, from uniform grey to brownish or reddish grey.
BNHS 4556
(
Fig. 64A
): dorsum grey–brown, a dark-brown band from the half portion of upper eyelid to vent, snout grey–brown, upper two-thirds of tympanum dark black, upper half of iris light brownish, lower half dark brownish; lateral side light brownish, either side of snout including loreal and tympanic regions dark-brownish black, limbs light brown with dark cross bands; ventral side light creamy white with dark spots;
BNHS 4554
(
Fig. 64B
): dorsum reddish brown with a faint ‘X’ marking, loreal and tympanic regions light grey, upper two-thirds of tympanum dark black, limbs light-reddish brown with faint cross bands; ventral side uniform white with faint minute spots;
BNHS 4552
(
Fig. 64C
): uniform grey dorsum with faint cross bands on limbs
.
Figure 64.
Philautus wynaadensis
: A, specimen (BNHS 4556) from Kalpetta; B, specimen (BNHS 4554) from Sulthanbathery; C, specimen (BNHS 4552) from Kalpetta.
Distribution:
Philautus wynaadensis
is widely distributed in the Western Ghats, especially north of the Palghat Gap, with its southern limit reaching up to Periyar (South of the Palghat Gap). This species was collected from nine localities: Mananthavady, Sulthanbathery, Kalpetta, Palakkad, Parambikulam- Puliyarapadam, and Mettupalayam (NPG); and Thrissur, Meladoor, and Periyar (SPG) (
Fig. 58D
,
Table 1
). It is one of the most common
Philautus
in the
study region, and is dominant in wayside vegetation and urban areas.
Figure 65.
A, holotype (ZMB 3057) of
Ixalus leucorhinus
; B, holotype (BMNH 1947.2.6.21) of
Ixalus nasutus
.
Remarks:
Philautus wynaadensis
was discussed as I
xalus
leucorhinus
Lichtenstein & Martens, 1856
(BMNH 72.4.17257a–d,
four adult
males from ‘N. Canara’; BMNH 74.4.29.587 adult male, BMNH 74.4.29.495 adult female from ‘Malabar’) by
Boulenger (1882)
.