Fejervarya syhadrensis (Annandale, 1919)

O, Kyle A., Connell, Aryal, Prakash C., Sherchan, Adarsh M., Dhakal, Bimala, Chaudhary, Hemanta Kumari, Ranabhat, Rishi & Karmacharya, Dibesh, 2019, A herpetological survey of the Kathmandu Valleyı Nepalı and phylogenetic identification of Megophrys (Xenophrys) zhangi, Journal of Natural History 53 (23), pp. 1421-1437 : 1427

Fejervarya syhadrensis Figures 1 and 3 (f – h); Table 2

specimens examined: CMDN-A 17, 61, 68 – 70, 82.

Distribution in the KTM Valley: Encountered at Godawari, Nagarkot, and Lalitpur. Pokhrel et al. (2011) and Aryal et al. (2013) reported this species from the whole KTM Valley, suggesting that it is widely distributed. Remarks: We encountered this species at three disturbed or urban localities, which is commonly the habitat used by species of this genus ( Grosjean 2011). The first locality was in a livestock pasture, where large numbers of large-bodied larvae were present ( Figures 2 (f) and 4(d)). At the second locality one adult was observed in grass near a large wetland in an urban area ( Figure 2 (g)). At the third locality an adult was observed in thick grass near a large pond ( Figure 1 ; Figure 2 (h)). Although past authors (e.g. Anders 2002) classified all Fejervarya from KTM as F. syhadrensis , sympatry and cryptic species in this genus are common, and further molecular work would help to confirm the species identity of all Fejervarya in KTM ( Kotaki et al. 2009; Grosjean 2011).

Figures

Figure 1. Map showing distributions of species surveyed in the Kathmandu Valley: circles = amphibians, squares = reptiles. Colours are defined as follows, amphibians: dark blue = Duttaphrynus melanostictus, purple = Nanorana liebigii, yellow = Fejervarya syhadrensis, light green = Hoplobatrachus tigerinus, dark green = Euphlyctis cyanophylyctis, orange = Megophrys (Xenophrys) zhangi, red = Microhyla ornata. Reptiles: light purple = Calotes versicolor, light blue = Hemidactylus platyurus, dark blue = Hemidactylus frenatus, dark purple = Herpetoreas platyceps.

Figure 2. Amphibian species observed during this survey. (a) Duttaphrynus melanostictus, (b) Nanorana liebigii, (c) Nanorana liebigii, (d) ventral view of Nanorana liebigii demonstrating lack of pectoral or finger spines, (e) tadpole of Nanorana liebigii, (f) tadpole of Fejervarya syhadrensis, (g) Fejervarya syhadrensis, (h) Fejervarya syhadrensis.

Figure 3. Additional amphibian species observed during this survey. (a) Hoplobatrachus tigerinus, (b) Hoplobatrachus tigerinus, (c) Euphlyctis cyanophylyctis, (d) male Megophrys zhangi, (e) female (left) and male (right) of Megophrys zhangi, (f) tadpole of Megophrys zhangi, (g) male Megophrys zhangi calling on artificial substrate near water feature, (h) Microhyla ornata.