Description

Raorchestes griet is a small frog, measuring from 20.7-22.1mm SVL in adult males. The combination of relatively large spines on the head and back of males, small size at sexual maturity, and reduced toe webbing makes this species distinguishable from its congeners. The head is wider than it is long, with a rounded and slightly protruding snout. The tympanum is round, indistinct, and small. In males, vocal sacs are present as a pair of slitlike openings at the rear of the jaw. A distinct supratympanic fold runs from the back of the eye to the shoulder (Bossuyt 2002).

Forelimbs are shorter than the hands. The third finger is the longest, followed by the fourth, second, and first. All fingers are unwebbed and have discs with distinct circummarginal grooves, and dermal fringes on both edges. Fingers have single, rounded subarticular tubercles as well as supernumerary tubercles. Two oval, distinct palmar tubercles are present. The prepollex is oval and distinct. The hindlimbs are moderately long. The fourth toe is the longest, followed by the fifth, third, second, and first. All toes have rudimentary webbing and possess discs with a distinct circummarginal groove. A small dermal fringe exists along the fifth toe. All the subarticular tubercles are distinct and rounded while the inner metatarsal tubercle is short. While the supernumerary tubercle is present in all toes, the tarsal tubercle, tarsal fold, and other metatarsal tubercle are all absent. Skin texture is mostly spinose. The snout, entire dorsum, and the upper part of the flanks have many small horny spines. Horny ridges form a triangle between the eyes, pointing posteriorly. The sides of the head are smooth. The lower flanks, throat, chest, belly and ventral surface of the thigh are granular, while the dorsal portions of forelimbs, thighs, and calves are smooth (Bossuyt 2002).

Coloration is generally brown. R. griet can be distinguished from its sister taxon R. charius by the former's lack of posterior thigh coloration; on R. charius the posterior thighs are black with yellow spots (Bossuyt 2002).

Distribution and Habitat

Country distribution from AmphibiaWeb's database: India

View distribution map in BerkeleyMapper.

The species is known only from the type locality of Munnar, India, at an elevation of approximately 1500 m asl. Munnar is on the south side of the Palghat Gap, an ancient river valley which divides the Western Ghats into northern and southern components (Bossuyt 2002). Raorchestes griet is found in montane forest, near shola forest in secondary growth and in tea plantations (IUCN 2008).

Life History, Abundance, Activity, and Special Behaviors
It was still common in the area in 1999 (Bossuyt 2002). This species is arboreal (IUCN 2008).

Larva
Species of the genus Raorchestes displays direct development.

Trends and Threats
Thought to be common but declining. Habitat fragmentation due to tea plantations and eucalyptus plantations presents the main threat. Although it can be found in tea plantations, it is not thought likely to survive if the area becomes entirely farmed (IUCN 2008).

Comments

The species was named in honor of the author's wife, Griet Decock, in appreciation for her involvement in his fieldwork and research (Bossuyt 2002).

References

Bossuyt, F. (2003). ''A new species of Philautus (Anura: Ranidae) from the Western Ghats of India.'' Journal of Herpetology, 36, 656-661.

IUCN (2008). 2008 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. www.iucnredlist.org. Downloaded on 7 February 2009.

Species Account Citation: AmphibiaWeb 2022 Raorchestes griet <https://amphibiaweb.org/species/6525> 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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