Hoplobatrachus tigerinus (Daudin, 1802)

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

Hoplobatrachus tigerinus

Figures 1 and 3 (a – b); Table 2

specimens examined: CMDN-A 91 – 96, 156.

Distribution in the KTM Valley: Encountered only in Lalitpur. Neither Pokhrel et al. (2011) or Aryal et al. (2013) encountered this species.

Remarks: We observed large numbers of this species on the edge of an urban area. We encountered a large adult calling in a shallow pool on the edge of a village road in the vicinity of Microhyla , which were also calling ( Figure 1 ; Figure 3 (b)). When approached, the frog raised its posterior end in a defensive position, as has been previously reported for this species ( Anders 2002). We also observed large numbers of individuals in a wetland where males were calling ( Figures 3 (a) and 4(d)). Several juveniles were also present at this locality, which probably represents common breeding habitat for this species in the KTM Valley.

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 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.