FROGLOG Is the Bi-Monthly Frange of Articles on Any of FROGLOG Vol 91 (As Newsletter of the Amphibian Spe- Research, Discoveries Or Con- Should References)
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E<9=<9 D"#$%&#''#(!)*!'+#!,-."/00.!123+45467!03#846&4%'!9():3 !"#$%&'(")*+',+-."+/0#102")"#+3.1%$+4$55%+!'&6+7'1#8+!"#$%&'() *'+,-.-/-0-+$0+9".151*18+:')-."1%-")0+;0#$1 ;0#)10"$5+<1%8+<=>16$+!1021#8+!'015#+3?+@*02#'.8+31=%.$6+<"=-$+A+!=B1+:*1551+3+4'')'' ufoides meghalayana, the Khasi Hills Rock Toad, is an ;<=!>?!@A.!?BB> ! B Endangered species of tropical bufonid (Stuart et al., !"#$%&'()&(*+ 2008), restricted to the Mawblang Plateau, ca. 5 km south of Cherrapunjee, East Khasi Hills, Meghalaya State, north-east- ,-./0'12-03' 4/5617-./03'-8'29/'+:5;:</0/5' ern India. Since its discovery by Yazdani and Chanda (1971: =9;16'"6>>1'4-7?'$-;5'6:' as Ansonia meghalayana), and reallocation to the monotyp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ic genus Bufoides by Pillai and Yazdani (1973), it has been @;</'AQ cited only in regional reviews (e.g., Chanda 1994; 2002) and in checklists (Frost 1985; Dutta 1997). Pawar and Bi- (:120G726-:1'2-'#G29-01'@;</' AQ C EA@,0.<;AEF!<D!GHA!A"@1"9AEA@!IH10,!H,==0!E<.I!G<1@ !"#$%#&'()*+",)!"-'+)./0' rand (2001) reported Bufoides meghalayana from two locali- ties in Mizoram State (Ngeng- pui Wildlife Sanctuary and Dampa Tiger Reserve). An examination of the specimen that forms the basis of that re- port (uncatalogued specimen in the collection of the Guwa- hati-based NGO, Aaranyak; SVL 32.9mm) reveals that it is !"#$%&'9)':0%%.5'4.%";.610-'/-&21'"6'306731.6&'8.$-7&%'<'="/%.> not conspeci!c with B. megha- 408"101'.2'!"#$%&'()*'+,-.-/-0- layana, as is the single speci- veal unstudied diversi!cation is available in the published men taken recently from Tura, within the lineage endemic to literature, thanks largely to in the Garo Hills of western India, and currently consid- the two early papers (Yazda- Meghalaya State (!eld number ered monotypic. ni and Chanda, 1971; Pillai MFA 10134; SVL 35.9mm). Compared to other Indian and Yazdani, 1973; Chanda, "e identity and relations of endemic amphibian species, 2002). "e species breeds in these and related species are basic data on the natural his- rock pools and within leaves currently under study, and re- tory of Bufoides meghalayana of Pandanus furcatus, during premonsoonal showers (end March to May). We conducted !eld work in the forests behind the vil- lage of Mawblang (25°15’N, 91°44’E; altitude ca. 1,112m asl; Fig. 1) on 11 March 2009 and observed four adults of B. meghalayana in a deep horizontal cleft of a sand- stone boulder along a dry rocky stream (Fig. 2), < 0.1 !"#$%&'?)'@7$-1'2&=0-&'!"#$%&'()*'+,-.-/-0- ? EA@,0.<;AEF!<D!GHA!<J1K1LK1!K<,0<"!DE<9 EA@,0.<;AEF!<D!GHA!A"@1"9AEA@!IH10,!H,==0!E<.I!G<1@ !"#$%#&'()*+",)!"-'+)./0' tion in the km from the village of Maw- literature blang. A pair of ranid frogs, in show- Amolops sp. were also ob- ing well- served in the same microhab- developed itat at the time. Air tempera- p a r o t o i d ture inside the rock crevice at g l a n d s . 1630 h was 26°C. Two toads We conse- (ID 9346-47) could be ex- quently an- tracted, representing an adult nounce the male (with enlarged testes) rediscovery and an adult female (with of Bufoides pigmented eggs of diameter meghalaya- 2.5-2.8mm), measuring 39.0 na, over 30 and 39.1mm, respectively, in years after snout-vent length. "e single the last re- male observed had bright yel- port of the low marbling on lower #anks species. and inguinal region, that is "e ex- !"#$%&'A)'B&61%0-'3$%20/&'.2'07$-1'2&=0-&'!"#$%&'() *'+,-.-/-0-)"6'C$6D&6E'%&F&G absent in the female. Fig. 3 tensive de- shows one of the animals in forestation 2008) as a result of “clear- dorsolateral view, Fig. 4 is the and quarrying activities now cutting of the species’ forest ventral surface of the animal taking place in the Cher- habitat”. In addition, the lo- in “unken” re#ex, a response rapunjee region, besides its cality of observation was close widespread in anuran am- small known range and spe- to the garbage disposal site phibians with noxious der- cialized saxicolous (including of the village of Mawblang. mal secretions (and similar a depressed habitus, presum- An earlier assessment dur- to the image of the venter of ably to squeeze into narrow ing the Conservation Assess- the holotype in the original rock cracks), and reportedly ment and Management Plan description). "e sample (as also, arboreal habits, are pre- (CAMP) Workshop in 1997 well as the type series cur- sumably factors that threaten listed the species as Criti- rently in the collection of the the species, which is listed cally Endangered (Molur and ZSI) di$ers from the descrip- as Endangered (Stuart et al., Walker, 1998), although it is M EA@,0.<;AEF!<D!GHA!A"@1"9AEA@!IH10,!H,==0!E<.I!G<1@ !"#$%#&'()*+",)!"-'+)./0' Handbook: Indian amphib- (1973). Bufoides, a new ge- not included in national leg- ians. Zoological Survey of In- nus for the rock-toad, Anso- islation, such as the Indian dia, Kolkata. 335 pp. nia meghalayana Yazdani and Wildlife (Protection) Act of Dutta, S.K. 1997. Amphib- Chanda, with notes on its 1972. ians of India and Sri Lanka ecology and breeding habits. (checklist and bibliography). Journal of the Zoological So- Acknowledgements Odyssey Publishing House, ciety of India 25:65–70. We thank our respective in- Bhubaneswar. (3) + xiii + 342 Stuart, S., Ho$mann, M., stitutions, the Institute of Bio- + xxii pp. Chanson, J.S., Cox, N.A., diversity and Environmental Frost, D.R. (Ed.) (1985). Berridge, R.J., Ramani, P. & Conservation, Universiti Ma- Amphibian species of the Young, B.E. (Eds). (2008). laysia Sarawak, North-eastern world. A taxonomic and geo- "reatened amphibians of Hill University, and Zoologi- graphical reference. Lawrence, the world. Lynx Edicio- cal Survey of India, for sup- Allen Press, Inc. and Asso- nes, Barcelona/IUCN- "e porting our researches. Our ciation of Systematics Collec- World Conservation Union, colleague, Mohammed Firoz tions. v + 732 pp. Conservation International Ahmed, Aaranyak, allowed us Molur, S. & Walker, S. and NatuServe, Washington, access to material reported as (Eds.). (1998). Amphibians of D.C. Bufoides meghalayana. Saibal India. Report Summary 1998. Yazdani, G.M. & Chanda, Sengupta, Arya Vidyapeeth Biodiversity Conservation S.K. (1971). A new toad, College, provided logistic sup- Prioritisation Project (BCPP) Ansonia meghalayana (fam- port and supplies. Finally, we India/Endangered Species ily Bufonidae) from Megha- thank Genevieve V. A. Gee for Project. Conservation Assess- laya (Assam), India, with commenting on the manu- ment and Management Plan observations on its breeding script. (CAMP) Workshops. Zoo’s on Pandanus furcatus Roxb. Print 13(12):1–29. (Pandanales: Pandanaceae). References Pawar, S. & Birand, A. Journal of the Assam Science Chanda, S.K. (1994). An- (2001). A survey of amphib- Society 14(1):76–80; 1 plate. uran (Amphibian) fauna of ians, reptiles and birds in northeast India. Memoirs of northeast India. CERC Tech- For more information please contact Indraneil Das: the Zoological Survey of India nical Report#6. Centre for hamadryad2004@hotmail. 18(2): i–vi + 1–143 + [maps] Ecological Research and Con- com a–w. servation, Mysore. 118 pp. Chanda, S.K. (2002). Pillai, R.S. & Yazdani, G.M. N 0AA@!9E1"G0 CD:E/!FG7;D: :">+,$0#$02%+',+.1)5"H=$0+I10-"551+$IB)'("+-."+&'0%")(1-$'0+%-1J -=%+',+91#12%&1)K%+I'%-+-.)"1-"0"#+,)'2 67)8-9%9%($-1):7)8-0&3%-0-($.$1);7)<0='3%0%-%0-1)>7);-4?%00$01)<7)<0&3%-*-*$0=%($-1)8-*-0&%*@ 9%($01)A7)8-0&3%-0-05$-0&3$)-0&)B7)<0&3'$0' adagascar is well known Mfor its diversity of am- phibians. Almost 100% of the 244 currently described spe- cies are found nowhere else and many others still wait to be de- scribed (Vieites et al., 2009). However, due to the loss of habitat, climate change, and over-harvesting in nature, these amphibians are threatened with extinction in the wild if no con- crete actions are implemented. In November 2008, during the celebration of the year of Am- phibians for Madagascar (YOF), !"#'()''*>34"%13'$3&7'03'1..-3'2.%'-./0-'/.==$6"1+'"61&%H"&53'I'J0%"> 3.6)'K067%"0603.-. the conservation program for the amphibians of Madagascar tella cowani - were o%cially endangered Malagasy frogs. - the Sahonagasy Action Plan launched by the Amphibian Since 2008 our e$ort has fo- (SAP) and the Action Plan for Specialist Group (ASG) and cuses primarily on M. cowani, the harlequin mantella Man- many stakeholders under the aegis of the Ministry Almost 100% of the of Environment and 244 currently de- Forests. Among other scribed species are things, these plans rec- found nowhere else ommend di$erent ac- tions to eliminate or achieving both of the follow- at least to mitigate the ing objectives: “Assessment of threats to critically potential site of M.