''Uperodon montanus'', also known as Jerdon's narrow-mouthed frog, Jerdon's ramanella, mountain dot frog, mountain globular frog, or Malabar Hill frog, is a species of narrow-mouthed frog (family

Microhylidae The Microhylidae, commonly known as narrow-mouthed frogs, are a geographically widespread family (biology), family of frogs. The 683 species are in 57 genera and 11 subfamilies. Evolution A molecular phylogenetic study by van der Meijden, et al. ...

)

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...

to the Western Ghats of India.

Description

The frogs of the (former)

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

''Ramanella'' are small and characteristically have discs on their fingers but lack them on the toes. The toes have some webbing. The typical

habitat In ecology, habitat refers to the array of resources, biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species' habitat can be seen as the physical manifestation of its ...

in which this frog is found are tree holes in the rainy season in moist deciduous forest to

evergreen forest An evergreen forest is a forest made up of evergreen trees. They occur across a wide range of climatic zones, and include trees such as conifers and holly in cold climates, eucalyptus, live oak, acacias, magnolia, and banksia in more temperate zo ...

. They have smooth but bumpy skin. The upper side is brown with dark spots. The

snout–vent length Snout–vent length (SVL) is a morphometric measurement taken in herpetology from the tip of the snout to the most posterior opening of the cloacal slit (vent)."direct line distance from tip of snout to posterior margin of vent" It is the mos ...

is 34–36mm. Males have a single subgular vocal sac that is expanded to a sphere when they call. They call after heavy rains during June or July. They begin calling after sunset and continue all night while the males float on water in small ponds. Females approach calling males and they display axillary

amplexus Amplexus (Latin "embrace") is a type of Mating, mating behavior exhibited by some External fertilization, externally fertilizing species (chiefly amphibians, Amphipoda, amphipods, and horseshoe crabs) in which a male grasps a female with his fro ...

during mating. They aestivate in summer.

Distribution

The distribution of this

frog A frog is any member of a diverse and largely semiaquatic group of short-bodied, tailless amphibian vertebrates composing the order (biology), order Anura (coming from the Ancient Greek , literally 'without tail'). Frog species with rough ski ...

is not fully known but is found in most of the Western Ghats from the Dangs to southern Kerala.Daniel, J C Field Guide to the Amphibians of Western India. Part 2. J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 60(3):25-37 This species is found in Moist deciduous forest, Semi-evergreen forest and

Evergreen forest An evergreen forest is a forest made up of evergreen trees. They occur across a wide range of climatic zones, and include trees such as conifers and holly in cold climates, eucalyptus, live oak, acacias, magnolia, and banksia in more temperate zo ...

. Rain-water filled tree holes are the favoured

microhabitat In ecology, habitat refers to the array of resources, biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species' habitat can be seen as the physical manifestation of its ...

of these frogs. The egg masses of most Indian microhylids float on the water but those of ''Uperodon montanus'' are attached to the tree trunk just above water level or placed on the surface of a floating leaf. The calls sounds like ''brong ... brong... brong'' and the calling is prolonged but stops when disturbed. The amplexus of the pair is in water with the male holding the female behind at her armpit (axillary amplexus).Sekar, A. G. A note on the breeding habits of Jerdon's Ramanella, ''Ramanella montana'' (Jerdon, 1854). J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 84(1):231-232

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q28042175, from2=Q3418357

montanus Montanus (; Greek: Μοντανός) was the second century founder of Montanism and a self-proclaimed prophet. Montanus emphasized the work of the Holy Spirit, in a manner which set him apart from the Great Church. Life Little is known about t ...

Frogs of India Endemic fauna of the Western Ghats Taxa named by Thomas C. Jerdon Amphibians described in 1859