Description
It is a small-sized frog (male: 22.1–25.6 mm; female: 23.3 mm) with a granular belly, and well differentiated digital discs. This frog can be distinguished from closely related species of the Western Ghats by the combination of an elongate small, squat and flat body, arched head, short rounded snout, indistinct but visible tympanum, protruding eyes with striking golden yellow dentition-like marks on pupil, unpigmented vocal sac, and a fleshy brown to cream yellow dorsum with two distinct golden yellow lateral bands bordered by dark brown from the upper eyelid to the posterior part of the flanks.

Distribution and Habitat

Country distribution from AmphibiaWeb's database: India

View distribution map in BerkeleyMapper.

Southern Western Ghats region of India (Type locality: Kakkayam Reserve Forest, Calicut District, Kerala State, 11°33’16” N, 75°55’12” E, altitude ≈745 m above mean sea level). Exclusively found in the Ochlandra setigera reed brakes, which are parts of the best remaining tropical wet evergreen forest of the Western Ghats.

Life History, Abundance, Activity, and Special Behaviors
This species inhabits the tubular internodes of Ochlandra setigera reed brakes. Embryos undergo direct development. An egg clutch with six developing embryos was found attached to the inner wall of a hollow reed brake, ≈2 m above the ground along with an adult male and female frog.

Recorded calls have an average dominant frequency of 2796.82 ± 125.49 Hz.

Possible reasons for amphibian decline

Dams changing river flow and/or covering habitat

Comments
Etymology: The species is named after the generic name of Ochlandra setigera, a species of bamboo, in which the adult male and female frog, eggs and advertisement calls were observed.

References

Gururaja, K.V., Dinesh K.P., Palot, M.J., Radhakrishnan, C. Ramachandra, T.V. (2007). ''A new species of Philautus Gistel (Amphibia: Anura: Rhacophoridae) from southern Western Ghats, India.'' Zootaxa, 1621, 1-16.

Species Account Citation: AmphibiaWeb 2010 Raorchestes ochlandrae: Ochlandra shrub frog <https://amphibiaweb.org/species/6999> University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA. Accessed Nov 22, 2024.

Citation: AmphibiaWeb. 2024. <https://amphibiaweb.org> University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA. Accessed 22 Nov 2024.

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