Raorchestes johnceei

Raorchestes johnceei
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Rhacophoridae
Genus: Raorchestes
Species:
R. johnceei
Binomial name
Raorchestes johnceei
Zachariah, Dinesh, Kunhikrishnan, Das, Raju, Radhakrishnan, Palot, and Kalesh, 2011

Raorchestes johnceei is a species of frog of the genus Raorchestes found in Bonacaud in the Western Ghats of Kerala in India.[2][3] It has been observed between 900 and 1300 meters above sea level.[1]

Nomenclature

The species is named after Professor John C. Jacob (popularly known as "Johncee").[4]

Habitat and threats

This frog has been observed perching on highland reed plants, including Ochlandra travancorica. This frog breeds in bamboo plants through direct development.[1]

Scientists classify this frog as endangered because of its small range. Humans harvest the reeds that the frog needs to survive for use as fence-building material and to deter elephants. The frog is often a bycatch of bamboo harvesting. Scientists also cite climate change as a threat because this species, like other high-elevation populations, cannot readily migrate to cooler habitats. Scientists have observed the fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis on other frogs in Raorchestes, so they believe it could infect R. jayarami too. Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis causes the fungal disease chytridiomycosis.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group. (2022). "Raorchestes manohari". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2022: e.T56041214A56041224. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-2.RLTS.T56041214A56041224.en.
  2. ^ Frost, Darrel R. (2014). "Raorchestes johnceei Zachariah, Dinesh, Kunhikrishnan, Das, Raju, Radhakrishnan, Palot, and Kalesh, 2011". Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0. American Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 25 September 2014.
  3. ^ "Raorchestes johnceei Zachariah, Dinesh, Kunhikrishnan, Das, Raju, Radhakrishnan, Palot, and Kalesh, 2011". AmphibiaWeb. University of California, Berkeley. Retrieved 15 September 2023.
  4. ^ Manoj, E. M. (7 August 2011). "New species of frogs found in Western Ghats". The Hindu. Retrieved 18 January 2020.

Further reading