Mercurana
| Mercurana | |
|---|---|
| |
| Mercurana myristicapalustris | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Amphibia |
| Order: | Anura |
| Family: | Rhacophoridae |
| Genus: | Mercurana Abraham et al., 2013 |
| Species: | M. myristicapalustris
|
| Binomial name | |
| Mercurana myristicapalustris Abraham et al., 2013
| |
Mercurana is a genus of arboreal
generic name was derived from and given as a tribute to Freddie Mercury, the late vocalist of the British rock band Queen, in combination with the Latin name for "frog" (Rana, which is also the name of the most common frog genus).[1][2]
The frog is different from other related frogs in that it has extensively webbed toes, lives only in swampy lowlands, and lays its eggs on mud with which it carefully mixes leaf litter.
Discovery and etymology
The
Parsi origin and spent the majority of his childhood in Panchgani, which is located in the northern part of the mountain range from where the frog was discovered.[3][4] The specific name is a combination of the words Myristica (a genus of the nutmeg family of trees), and palustris, which is Latin for "swampy", to indicate the swamp forest habitat dominantly represented by Myristica trees in which the frog lives. The forest is particularly noted for its fragile and threatened habitat type in the Western Ghats.[5]
Description
Mercurana are medium-sized frogs; males are smaller measuring 35 mm in length, while the female is up to 65 mm. They have a slender body which is rusty-brown in colour with small black speckles on the back. Females are more greenish-yellow in colour on the back. The dorsal surface of the skin is a rough
vomerine teeth and lingual papilla. They have distinct dark eyes, with horizontal and oval-shaped pupil.[1][6]
Biology
Mercurana are arboreal frogs and live in lowland swamp forest. They
tadpoles
are free-living and aquatic. The tadpole is oval and depressed with a brown body and a pale-brown to off-white tail that has translucent fins. The body, tail, and fins have scattered dark brown
spots and blotches.[1][3][7]
Distribution
Mercurana is
References
- ^ PMID 26000411.
- ^ "New frog species named after Freddie Mercury". kingsnake.com. OnlineHobbyist.com, Inc. 23 April 2013. Retrieved 19 October 2013.
- ^ a b "Two New Frog Species Discovered in India" (PDF). Reptile Channel. 23 April 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 May 2013. Retrieved 22 October 2013.
- ^ "Two new genera of tree frogs found in Western Ghats". The Hindu. 18 April 2013. Retrieved 19 October 2013.
- ^ Aathira Perinchery (22 April 2013). "Two new frog genera discovered in India's Western Ghats, but restricted to threatened swamp-ecosystems". Mongabay.com. Retrieved 21 October 2013.
- ^ a b "Mercurana myristicapalustris". Amphibian Web. Retrieved 22 October 2013.
- license.
