Philautus signatus
Creators: name: Biju, S. D.
name: Bossuyt, Franky
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2009
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Chordata
Amphibia
Anura
Rhacophoridae
Philautus
Philautus signatus

description: PHILAUTUS SIGNATUS (BOULENGER, 1882)   
(FIGS 2, 53C, 55A–C; TABLE 2)  
 Type material: Lectotype, BMNH 1947.2.27.36 (ex BMNH 1868.4.3.120), an adult male, SVL 31.5 mm, from ‘ Nilgherries’ i.e. Nilgiri Hills), Tamil Nadu, India.   
 Other material studied: BMNH 1947.2. 27.37, an adult male, from ‘ Nilgiri Hills’; BNHS 4486, an adult male, from Coonoor; BNHS 4487, an adult male, from Parsons Valley; BNHS 4488, an adult male, from Naduvattam; BNHS 4489, an adult male, and BNHS 4492, an adult female, from Avalanche; BNHS 4558 and BNHS 4491, two adult males, from Udhagamandalam (Table 2).   
 Description of the lectotype: A detailed description of the lectotype was published in Bossuyt & Dubois (2001).   
 Variation: Measurements of nine specimens, including the lectotype, are given in Table 2. The skin texture is slightly variable: BNHS 4558 has a prominently granular dorsum, whereas BNHS 4489 has a shagreened to sparsely granular dorsum. This species has an array of dorsal coloration from light-greyish brown to dark red, and moreover, the same population shows marked difference in eye markings: iris dark-reddish brown with radiating golden stripes (Fig. 55A, B) and light brown iris without stripes (Fig. 55C). BNHS 4488, light-grey dorsum with dark ‘X’ marking; BNHS 4558, uniform reddish brown dorsum with irregular grey spots in life, dorsum turns greyish brown in preservation, light-blackish brown stripe between the eyes, dark-grey ‘X’ mark on dorsum (Fig. 55C); SDB 089, dark-brown dorsum with irregular black spots, light-grey stripe in between the eyes making a triangular grey snout with dark irregular brown spots, an inverted blackish brown ‘V’ mark on the middle of the dorsum in life, turns light-greyish brown dorsum with dark markings in preservation, throat with blackish patches; BNHS 4486 with almost similar markings as the lectotype, uniformly dark-brownish dorsum with an ‘X’ marking and a stripe in between the eyes; BNHS 4491 with uniform reddish grey dorsum with a light marking; SDB 098, uniformly dark reddish with a faint ‘X’ marking on dorsum and limbs (Fig. 55A); BNHS 4487, grey dorsum with a light-blackish ‘X’ marking and stripe in between the eyes, scattered white spots on loreal and tympanic regions, lateral side greyish white with light-brown patches, ventral side light grey with irregular light-brown spots, both the limbs have dark cross bands. BNHS 4492, light reddish with a faint ‘X’ marking (Fig. 55B).   
 Diagnosis: Philautus signatus can be distinguished from known congeners by the following combination of characters: (1) medium to large male adult size; (2) snout pointed in dorsal view; (3) canthus rostralis acute; (4) tongue with a lingual papilla; (5) flanks and groin flesh white or light-reddish brown, without markings.   
 Distribution and natural history: Nilgiri Hills and surroundings: Coonoor, Kothagiri, Udhagamandalam, Naduvattam, Avalanche, and Parsons Valley (Fig. 53C, Table 1). In Avalanche, Coonoor, and Naduvattam, this species was located from heights of about 4 m in shola vegetation. However, in Parsons Valley, calling individuals were observed invariably in the moss-covered earthen bank inside the forest patch.   
 Remarks: This species was considered to be I xalus variabilis Günther, 1858 (BMNH 74.4.29.458, BMNH 74.4.29.625–652 from Malabar, and BMNH 74.4.29.748–764 from Pycara, by Boulenger 1882).   
 paratypes, BNHS 4450 – 4452, three adult males collected along with the holotype.   
 Other material studied: SDB 016 B, an adult male collected from the holotype locality (Table 2).   
 Diagnosis: Philautus sushili sp. nov. can be distinguished from known congeners by the following combination of characters: (1) medium adult size (SVL 24.9 ± 2.3 mm, N = 5, male); (2) slender to elongate body; (3) head wider than long, HW 10.0 ± 1.0 mm, HL 9.1 ± 0.1 mm, N = 5; (4) snout oval in dorsal view; (5) shank longer than thigh, ShL 13.1 ± 1.3 mm, TL 12.3 ± 1.4 mm, N = 5; (6) ventral side of limbs coarsely granular; (7) lateral side of abdomen light grey with white spots; (8) anterior and posterior part of thighs and groin dark brown.   
 For comparison with closely related species P. anili and P. sushili sp. nov., see the ‘comparison’ of P. anili.
description: Published as part of Biju, S. D. & Bossuyt, Franky, 2009, Systematics and phylogeny of Philautus Gistel, 1848 (Anura, Rhacophoridae) in the Western Ghats of India, with descriptions of 12 new species, pp. 374-444 in Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 155 (2) on pages 431-433, DOI: 10.1111/j.1096-3642.2008.00466.x, http://zenodo.org/record/5445358