Fejervarya krishnan, Raj & Dinesh & Das & Dutta & Kar & Mohapatra, 2018

Raj, Prudhvi, Dinesh, K. P., Das, Abhijit, Dutta, Sushil K., Kar, Niladri B. & Mohapatra, Pratyush P., 2018, Two new species of cricket frogs of the genus Fejervarya Bolkay, 1915 (Anura: Dicroglossidae) from the Peninsular India, Records of the Zoological Survey of India 118 (1), pp. 1-21 : 11-15

Fejervarya krishnan sp. nov.

( Table 2 , 4 ; Refer Figures 1 , 2 , 6 , 7 and 8 )

Holotype: Adult male: Jog fall, Shimoga district , Karnataka, (N14.219698°; E 74.809669°), Alt. 508m ASL, 10-VII-2015, coll. Prudhvi Raj ( ZSI / WRC /A/2023).

Paratypes: Two males and one female: Jog fall, Shimoga district , Karnataka, (N14.219698°; E 74.809669°), Alt. 508m ASL, 10-VII-2015, coll. Prudhvi Raj ( ZSI / WRC /A/2024, 2025 & 2026) .

Lineage diagnosis ( Figure 2 ): Fejervarya krishnan sp. nov. can be diagnosed phylogenetically as a member of the fejervaryan clade, showing a sister relationship to F. gomantaki exhibiting high level of genetic divergence of 4% for 16S rRNA. It is also morphologically distinct from its sister species ( F. gomantaki ) ( Figure 6 ).

Morphological diagnosis: This species can be distinguished from its congeners by combination of morphological characters, small size and slender body; head length equal to head width; snout pointed in dorsal aspect; nostrils nearer to snout tip; distinct supra-tympanic; moderately visible tympanum; indistinct vomerine teeth; tongue bifid without a papilla; fore arm shorter than hand; when folded, hind limbs touch at right angles to the body; tibio-tarsal articulation reaches back of eyes; thigh length less than tibia length and rudimentary webbing (I 1-1 II 2-2 III 2-3 IV 3-2 V).

In the field, Fejervarya krishnan sp. nov. does not have any morphologically confusing congeneric sympatric species, and can be identified based on the combination of morphological characters including small body size (mean SVL of males being 17.3 mm); shorter second finger; less prominent palmar tubercle; absence of vomerine ridge; dorsum light brown with a black streak from the tip of the snout to the supra tympanic fold. For comparisons of the new species Fejervarya krishnan sp. nov. from its morphologically confusing species and probable sympatric congeners, see comparisons below.

This species is known from the medium elevated (500 m) forested landscape of Jog, Shimoga in the central Western Ghats. It is geographically disjunct (N 14.22) from its phylogenetic sister species, F. gomantaki (N 15.74) with an isolation of 180 km aerially. Additional sampling is required to establish the range limits of both the sister lineages and to understand the geographical barrier for isolation of the sister species.

Description of Holotype ( ZSI / WRC /A/2023) ( Figures 6 and 7 ): A small sized Fejervarya species ( SVL: 17.1 mm) with slender body; head length almost equal to head width (HL/ HW:1.01); snout pointed in dorsal aspect (SL:

2.5mm); canthus rostralis rather angled with loreal region concave; nostrils oval, nearer to snout tip than to eye; upper eyelid width less than eye diameter ( UE / ED: 0.65); inter narial distance ( IN: 1.8mm) slightly greater than inter orbital distance ( IOS: 1.9mm); distance between back of eyes 1.5 times more than front of eyes ( IAE: 3.2mm; IPE: 4.9mm); supra-tympanic fold distinct; tympanum moderately visible; round ( HTYD: 1mm; VTYD: 1mm) and diameter about 50% of eye diameter; choanae widely separated and vomerine teeth are indistinct; tongue bifid without a papilla.

Fore arm feeble (FaL: 3.3mm) and shorter than hand ( HAL: 4.2mm); fingers short and thin with blunt tips; no dermal fringes; webbing absent; subarticular tubercles distinct; palmar tubercle present and moderate; finger lengths II<I=IV<III.

Hind limbs short; tibio-tarsal articulation reaches back of eyes; thigh length less than tibia length ( TBL: 8.6mm; TiL: 7.8mm); foot length 1.9 times of tarsus length (FtL:

8.7mm, TaL: 4.6mm), relative toe length I<II< V <III<IV ( FTL = 8.7 mm), toe tip rounded; webbing rudimentary (I 1-1 II 2-2 III 2-3 IV 3-2 V); inner metatarsal tubercle long and oval and outer metatarsal tubercle round and tiny, no dermal ridge along outer edge of fifth toe.

Snout smooth with no dermal granules; no tubercles in inter orbital space or on upper eyelid; skin on the dorsum and flanks smooth; no longitudinal glandular folds on the dorsum; ventrally smooth on throat and belly but granular at the region of thighs; anterio-dorsal region of thigh smooth; dorsal surface of tibia and tarsus with small granules; slightly granulated around the vent.

In preservation, dorsum is light brown; black streak runs laterally from tip of snout to canthus rostralis and faintly ending along the groin; lips and rictal gland yellowish; fore limb faintly barred; cross bars on anterior part of thigh, tibia, tarsus and foot though not prominent; ventrally throat and thighs cream yellow while the belly is dirty white: external vocal sac at the region of throat which is light black in colour; faint nuptial pad present on the first finger.

Secondary Sexual Characters: Adult males have an external vocal sac at the region of throat which is mostly light black in colour, faint nuptial pad present on the first finger.

Additional Information from Paratypes and Referred Specimens: Variations in morphometric characters are shown in Table 2 for comparison. Paratypes resemble the holotype in all aspects of morphology. All male specimens had vocal sacs while the female doesn’t. Variation in dorsal coloration is also observed in WII-7004 and WII-7006 where the bands on the hind limbs were prominent. Mid dorsal line was found in the female studied and in males of the accession number WII-7005 to WII-7007.

Etymology: The specific epithet ‘Krishnan’ is named after late Dr K.S. Krishnan (Kozhalmannom Subrammaniasastri Krishnan) for his contribution in the field of biological sciences and being one of the key persons in embarking School in Herpetology sponsored by Department of Science and Technology. The specific name is a noun standing in apposition to the generic name. Suggested common name: ‘Jog Krishnan cricket frog’

Distribution and natural history: At present Fejervarya krishnan sp. nov. is known only from the type locality, i.e., in Jog fall, Shimoga district, Karnataka falling in 5B biogeographic zone of Western ghats ( Rodgers et al., 2000). However, it is assumed that this species could be more widely distributed and additional sampling is required to understand the distribution range limits of the species.

Comparisons: The other species of Fejervarya reported in the surroundings of the type locality of Fejervarya krishnan sp. nov. are F. modesta (species needs validation), F. mysorensis (no collections after original descriptions), F. caperata and F. granosa . But, Fejervarya krishnan sp. nov. can be easily distinguished from these sympatric congeneric species in having a smaller body size, possession of rictal gland and white upper lip. The other small species of Fejervarya that could be confused due to possession of rictal gland and white upper lip include F. gomantaki , F. sahyadris and F. chilapata . PCA analysis comparing the new species with its phylogenetic sister and the other confusing probable sympatric species suggest a substantial morphological separation between Fejervarya krishnan sp. nov. and others ( F. gomantaki , F. sahyadris and F. chilapata ) ( Figure 6 ). PC1 accounted for 55% variance and PC2 accounted for 25% variance.

Fejervarya krishnan sp. nov. is having second finger shortest (vs. finger I shortest in F. chilapata ); dorsum of the body cream brown with number of broken ridges, dark streak from the tip of snout ending at the supra-tympanic fold and limbs with faint cross bands (vs. dorsal parts of head and body greyish beige with light orange mid-dorsal line, dark streak from the tip of snout passing through canthus rostralis and ending in the second half of groin and hind limbs with dark cross bar in F. chilapata ). Adult males of F. krishnan have a lower SVL of 17.3mm ± 0.80, n=7 (vs. greater SVL of 20.0mm ± 6.95, n= 8 in F. chilapata ); smaller MN / SVL ratio of 0.280 (0.272 to 0.287, n=7) (vs. greater MN / SVL ratio of 0.364 (0.330 -0.384, n=8) in F. chilapata ); lower MPE/ SVL ratio of 0.086(0.074 to 0.098, n=7) (vs. greater MPE / SVL ratio of 0.157 (0.128 to 0.174, n=7) F. chilapata ).

Fejervarya krishnan sp. nov. is having second finger shortest (vs. finger I shortest in F. gomantaki ); palmer tubercle less distinct (vs. palmer tubercle not distinct in F. gomantaki ); dorsum of the body cream brown with number of broken ridges, dark streak from the tip of snout ending at the supratympanic fold and limbs with faint cross bands (vs. brown dorsum, dark streak from the tip of snout passing through canthus rostralis and ending in the second half of groin and hind limbs with dark cross bar in F. gomantaki ). Adult males of Fejervarya krishnan have a lower SVL of 17.3mm ± 0.80, n=7 (vs.

19.3 mm ±0.68, n= 7 in F. gomantaki ); lower MPE/ SVL ratio of 0.086 (0.074 to 0.098, n=7) (vs. greater MPE / SVL ratio of 0.116 (0.100 to 0.129, n=7) in F. gomantaki ).

Fejervaryakrishnan sp.nov. ishavingsecondfingershortest (vs. finger IV shortest in F. sahyadris ); palmer tubercle less distinct (vs. palmer tubercle distinct in F. sahyadris ); vomerine ridge absent (vs. vomerine ridge present in Fejervarya sahyadris ); dorsum of the body cream brown with number of broken ridges, dark streak from the tip of snout ending at the supratympanic fold and limbs with faint cross bands (vs. dorsum brick red to dark brown, dark streak from the snout ends at the supratympanic fold, limbs with faint cross bars in F. sahyadris ). Adult males of Fejervarya krishnan have a lower SVL of 17.3mm ± 0.80, n=7 (vs. 18.4mm ± 6.01, n= 10 in F. sahyadris ); smaller MN / SVL ratio of 0.280 (0.272 to 0.287, n=7) (vs. greater MN / SVL ratio of 0.360 (0.353 to 0.371, n= 10) in F. sahyadris ); lower MPE/ SVL ratio of 0.086(0.074 to 0.098, n=7) (vs. greater MPE / SVL ratio of 0.168 (0.153 to 0.178, n=10) in F. sahyadris ); lower TBL / SVL ratio of 0.463 (0.437 to 0.479, n=7) (vs. greater TBL / SVL ratio of 0.429 (0.423 to 0.434, n=10) in F.sahyadris ).

Figures

Figure 1. Map showing distribution of Fejervarya kalinga sp. nov. (in triangles, type locality in purple) and Fejervarya krishnan sp. nov. (in circle).

Figure 2. Maximum Likelihood (ML) tree for 42 dicroglossid species based on 5722 bp of mitochondrial and nuclear genes (16s, 12s, BDNF, Rhod, Tyr, RAG-2, NCX1, and CXCR4).

Figure 6. Fejervarya krishnan sp. nov. in life.

Figure 7. Fejervarya krishnan sp. nov., holotype, ZSI/WRC/A/2023, adult male, 17.1 mm SVL. Left, dorsal view; right, ventral view (horizontal lines equal 5.0 mm).

Figure 8. Principal Component Analysis scatter plot (of 18 morphometric characters as listed in Table 3 transformed to their ratio to SVL) for Fejervarya krishnan sp. nov., F. gomantaki, F.sahyadris and F. chilapata (a) for male individuals.