Raorchestes kadalarensis is a species of frog of the genus Raorchestes found in Kadalar near Munnar in the Western Ghats of Kerala in India.[2] This frog has been observed between 1300 and 1700 meters above sea level.[1]
| Raorchestes kadalarensis | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Amphibia |
| Order: | Anura |
| Family: | Rhacophoridae |
| Genus: | Raorchestes |
| Species: | R. kadalarensis
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| Binomial name | |
| Raorchestes kadalarensis Zachariah, Dinesh, Kunhikrishnan, Das, Raju, Radhakrishnan, Palot, and Kalesh, 2011
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Scientists first observed this frog was a Kadalar tea farm in the Western Ghat mountains.[2] Since then, they have seen the frogs in patches of disturbed forest between tea farms and in primary forest, where it dwells among the leaf litter near streams. This frog breeds through direct development with no free-swimming tadpole stage.[1]
Scientists classify this frog as near threatened because about half the estimate population lives in protected parks: Srivilliputhur Wildlife Sanctuary, Meghamalai Wildlife Sanctuary, and Anamalai Tiger Reserve. Scientists cite climate change as a possible threat to this frog. Because it lives at high altitudes, it cannot simply migrate north if its habitat should become too warm or dry.[1]
Scientists have found that the fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis can infect other frogs in Raorchestes, so they infer it could infect R. kadalarensis with chytridiomycosis as well.[1]
Original description edit
- Zachariah A; Dinesh KP; Kunhikrishnan E; Das S; Raju DV; Radhakrishnan C; Palot MJ; Kalesh S (2011). "Nine new species of frogs of the genus Raorchestes (Amphibia: Anura: Rhacophoridae) from southern Western Ghats, India". Biosystematica (Excerpt). 5 (1): 25–48. Retrieved 7 September 2023.
References edit
- ^ a b c d e IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group (2023). "Raorchestes kadalarensis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2023: e.T56041241A56041245. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2023-1.RLTS.T56041241A56041245.en. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
- ^ a b Frost, Darrel R. (2014). "Raorchestes kadalarensis (Biju and Bossuyt, 2009)". Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0. American Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 25 September 2014.
External links edit
Data related to Raorchestes kadalarensis at Wikispecies
