Dichotomous key to the tadpoles of twelve anuran species from north eastern India

8 Pages·1995·3.8 MB·

by  A K Sahu

DICHOTOMOUS KEY TO THE TADPOLES OFTWELVE ANURAN SPECIES
FROM NORTHEASTERN INDIA1
A.K. Sahu2
(Witha map andtwelvetext-figures)
Keywords: dichotomouskey, anurantadpoles, larval systematics, ontogeny, morphology
AdichotomouskeytothetadpoleserfLeptobrachiumhasseltiTschudi;LeptobrachiumnigropsBerryand
Hendrickson;BufomelanostictusSchneider;Microhylaomata(Dum.andBibr.);RanaalticolaBoulenger;Rana
danieliPillai and Chanda; Rana limnocharisWeigmann; Rana cyanophlyctis Schneider;Amolops afghanus
(Gunther); Philautus cherrapunjiae Roonwal and Kripalani; and Rhacophoridae; Rhacophorus leucomystax
(Kuhl) and Rhacophorus nigropalmatus Boulenger at stages 36-38 (Gosner 1960) has beenpresented. The
characters incorporatedin thekeyare: oral disc, rostrodonts, keratodonts,presenceorabsence oforalpapillae,
poisongland orparotid gland, tail ocelli, ventral sucker, nostril shape, presence or absence ofrim aroundthe
nostrils,presenceorabsenceofdepressions,andpapillae,positionofventwhetherdextralormedianandposition
ofspiraclewhethersinistralormedian.
Introduction tadpoles from India are brief and not based on
uniform diagnostic features (Annandale 1912,
Adult anurans of Indian Sub-continent are Annandale and Rao 1918, Annandale and Hora
relatively well known (Boulenger 1918, 1920; 1922, Hora 1923, Kripalani 1952, Pillai and
Daniel1975,Rao1918)butstudiesontheirtadpoles Chanda 1976, Rao 1918, Roonwal andKripalani
have laggedbehind mainly due to the difficulty of 1961, Swammerdam 1737, Smith 1927).
correctidentification. 40anuran speciesbelonging Eversince the work on tadpole mouthparts,
to Pelobatidae, Bufonidae, Hylidae, Microhylidae, various aspects of tadpole morphology and
Ranidae and Rhacophoridae have so far been polymorphism have been studied by different
reported from North Eastern India (Pillai and workers (seeVan Dijk 1966 forreview). Some of
Chanda 1976). With increasing thrust these days theseworks includedetailedkeytoanuran larvae
on ecological, developmental and phylogenetic (Altig 1970, Van Dijk 1966, Kripalani 1952,
studiesofanuransaknowledgeoflarvalsystematics Orton 1952, Mansukhani and Murthy 1971).
hasbecomeessential. In the present paper a key to the tadpoles of
Tadpoles form an important developmental 12anuran speciesbelongingto5 families,namely
stagein theontogenyofanurans. Anuran tadpoles Pelobatidae: Leptobrachium hasselti Tschudi,
,
are identified by their unique distinguishing Leptobrachium nigrops Berry and Hendrickson;
characteristics: compact head and trunk united Bufonidae: Bufo melanostictus Schneider;
with short vertebral column, gills and forelimbs Microhylidae: Microhyla omata (Dum. and
concealed under operculum, long spirally coiled Bibr.); Ranidae: Rana alticola Boulenger, Rana
intestine and internal supporting structures of danieli Pillai and Chanda, Rana limnocharis
mouthandgillsdisplacedforwardandsmallmouth Weigmann, Rana cyanophlyctis Schneider,
usually with elaborate external features (Orton Amolopsafghanus (Gunther)andRhacophoridae:
1953). Philautus cherrapunjiae Roonwal and Kripalani
Amongst the earliest works, reference may and Rhacophorus leucomystax (Kuhl) and
be made to the description of 10 anuran species Rhacophorus nigropalmatusBoulenger at stages
from Travancore (Ferguson 1904). Works on the 36-38 (Gosner 1960)hasbeenpresented. Further,
for easy identification of the above tadpoles, a
1AcceptedJuly1993. diagrammatic key is also included here. Body
2DevelopmentalBiologyLaboratory,SchoolofLifeSciences, length was foundtoshowconsiderablevariations
NorthEasternHillUniversity,Meghalaya. and hence not taken as a keycharacter.
TADPOLESOFTWELVEANNURAN SPECIES 413
E
MEGHALAYA ab
s
OF
1
MAP
414 JOURNAL,BOMBAYNATURALHIST.SOCIETY, Vol.91(1994)
Table1
DETAILSOFTADPOLESCOLLECTION
No. Species State Placeof Typeof Altitude Distance(km)from
collection habitats (m)ASL Shillong
1. L hasselti Meghalaya Khasi hills
i) Lailad Slowstream 296 65.00
ii) Sumer -do- 1200 35.00
GaroHills
i) Williamnagar -do- 1000 350.00
2. Lnigrops -do- KhasiHills
i) Mawkdok -do- 1225 24.00
ii) Nonghtymmai -do- 1520 8.00
3. B. melanostictus -do- KhasiHills
i) Mawpun Pond 1225 24.00
ii) Nongthymmai Pond 1520 8.00
4. R.alticola -do- KhasiHills
i) Barapani Stream 1250 20.00
JaintiaHills
i) Thadlaskein Pond 1340 40.00
(permanent)
ii) Jowai -do- 1350 55.00
GaroHills
i) Williamnagar Stream 1000 350.00
5. R.danieli -do- KhasiHills
i) Umling Swamp 290 65.00
ii) Kyrdemkulai Stream 1200 30.00
GaroHills
i) Tasek Stream 1400 323.00
6. R. limnocharis Meghalaya KhasiHills
i) Golflink Temporarypond 1515 6.00
ii) Pologround -do- 1515 5.00
iii) Nongthymmai -do- 1515 8.00
iv) Pynursla -do- 1350 75.00
7. R. cyanophlyctis -do- KhasiHills
i) Golflink -do- 1515 6.00
ii) Pologround -do- 1515 5.00
8. A.afghanus -do- Khasi Hills
i) Umling Rapidstream 1515 1.5
ii) Cherapunji -do- 1337 45.00
iii) Pynursla -do- 1350 75.00
9. R cherrapunjiae -do- KhasiHills
i) Pynursla Slowstream 1350 75.00
ii) Cherrapunji -do- 1337 45.00
10. R. leucomystax -do- KhasiHills
i) Lynngkyrdam Temporarypond 1350 58.00
11. R. nigropalmatus -do- KhasiHills
i) Mawsynram -do 1305 45.00
ii) Cherrapunji -do 1337 45.00
12. M. omata Assam Barpeta Temporarypond 50 200.00
2
TADPOLES OFTWELVEANURAN SPl
Till ORAL DISC
ABSENT
vbrt and Ipiraclb MIMAS
NOSTRIL loBND, HIT! BIN,
NOT IN DEPRESSIONS
N,. oInat*a
RAIN POOL
margSatb
WITS POISON GLAND, WITH OR WITHOUT VENTRAL WITHOUT POISON GLAND
SUCKBR AND TAIL OCELLI, VBRT DEXTRAL OR MEDIAN TAIL OCELLI, VENT KB!
VEI
WITH POIsAn GLAND WITH POISON GLAND WITH- MeIilAN
AND VENTRAL SUCKBR OUT VBNTRAL SUCKER WITH
WITHOUT TAIL OCELLI OR WITHOUT TAIL OCELLI
VBNT MBDIiIN VBNT DBXTRAL
'
1
NOSTRIL K DNEY SHAPED OCELLI ocIlli NO!TRIL
WITH RIM, IN DEPRESSIONS PRBSENT ABSENT
1 I
NOSTRIL OVAL NOSTRIL ROUND ROUND WITH R
WITHOUT RIH, WITHOUT RIM, ROT IN DBPR8SSIOI
IN DEPRESSIONS IN DEPRESSIONS
1
3:5*5 1*1:2 2:515/1*1:6 1:1*1/1+1: 1: 1/3
1 j
A* afgians B. alticola R. daieili B. Mla»ost:
STREAM STREAM RAIN POOL TEMPORARY Al
PERMANENT Pi
till®
wit! RIM,
IB DEPRESSION!
l:lll/3 1
|
R. liiaockaris B. C'
RAIN POOL RAIN
RENT
MMB
FIELD KEY TO THE 12 JM

2 1
TADPOLESOFTWELVEANURANSPECIES 415
lDISCAIDr
_l
prbIbit
VBITAIDSPIRACLEHBDIAI spiracl!siiistral
IOSTIILloBID, HITSBII
HOT IIDBPBBSSIORS
_ORALLDI_SC 1
HITBPOISOIGLAID,HHORHITBODTVBITRAL HITBODTP0I80IGLAND, VBITRALSDCIBROR Mi-t
SOCIBRAIDTAILOCELLI, VBITD8ITRALORMBDIAI TAILOCBLLI, VBITHBDIAIOBDBXTRAL
vbIt
HITB POISOIGLAIDHITB- ~m\u I SIAP&DI
AIDVBITRALSDCIBR ODTVBITRALSDCIBRHITB HITBBASALPAPILLAB
HITBODTTAILOCBLLI ORHITBODTTAILOCBLLI
VBITHBDIAI 1: 1/2*2: 1:5*575*5:1
, I.
IOSTRILIIDIBTSRAPBD ""ocllLI
ABSBHT
iostIilR
IOTIB DBPRBSSIOH
liJs/Mif 1:1*1/I*1: l:l*4/l*l:2
I. ilticola I.diieili
STRBAH RAIIPOOL
IIDBPRBSSIOIS ORIOTIIDBPRBSSIOIS
IIDbIiBSSIOI IOTIIDBPRBSSIOIS
1:1*1/3 1/1 2:4*1/1*1:2 Ulli/l
R. liikockarii B.ccyviaiopklTCtia R. liqLpalutii leJo.Tfli«
RAIIPOOL RAIIPOOL RAIIPOOL
FIELD KEY TO FRCMN.E. HILLS OF HOIA
i
416 JOURNAL,BOMBAYNATURALHIST.SOCIETY, Vol.91(1994)
Figs. 1-6.Oraldiscsoftadpoles:1.Microphylaomata(Dum. & Bibr.);2.Amolopsafghanus(Gunther);
3.RanaalticolaBoulenger;4.RanadanieliPillai&Chanda; 5.BufomelanostictusSchneider;
6. PhilautuscherrapunjiaeRoonwal&Kripalani.
Abbreviations:Fr-Freerimoftheventralsucker;Ir-Infra-rostrodont;K-Keratodontrow;LI-Lowerlabium;M-Marginaltet
Mg-Mentalgap;Oa-Oralangle;Op-Oralpapillae;Rg-Rostralgap;Sr-Supra-rostrodont;U1-Upperlabium;
Vs-Ventralsucker.
' I ' ' i
TADPOLES OF TWELVEANURAN SPECIES 417
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Figs.7-12. Oraldiscsoftadpoles:7.RhacophorusnigropalmatusBoulenger;8.Rhacophorusleucomystax(Kuhl);
9./torn*cyanophlyctisSchneider;10.itamzlimnocharisWeigmann;11.LeptobrachiumhasseltiTschudi;
12.Leptobrachiumnigrops Berry&Hendrickson.
Abbreviations:Ir-Infra-rostrodont;K-Keratodontrow;LI-Lowerlabium;Mg-Mentalgap;Op-Oralpapillae;Rg-Rostralgap;
Sr-Supra-rostrodont;U1-Upper labium.