Uperodon palmatus
Creators: name: Garg, Sonali
name: Senevirathne, Gayani
name: Wijayathilaka, Nayana
name: Phuge, Samadhan
name: Deuti, Kaushik
name: Manamendra-Arachchi, Kelum
name: Meegaskumbura, Madhava
name: Biju, Sd
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2018
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Chordata
Amphibia
Anura
Microhylidae
Uperodon
Uperodon palmatus

description: Uperodon palmatus (Parker, 1934)
Parker’s Globular Frog
(Figs. 1, 2A, 2D, 3I, 5H, 10E–H, 11A–E; Tables 1–4)
Original name and description. Ramanella palmata Parker, 1934. A Monograph of the Frogs of the Family Microhylidae. London: Trustees of the British Museum: 93. Holotype. NHM 90.11.8.62 (ex. BMNH 1947.2.11.21), by original designation. Type locality. “Newera Ellya, Ceylon, 7,000 ft ” (= Nuwara-Eliya), Sri Lanka. Current status of specific name. Valid name, as Uperodon palmatus (Parker, 1934).
Comparison. For comparison of Uperodon palmatus with U. globulosus, U. systoma, U. taprobanicus, U. anamalaiensis, U. montanus, U. mormorata, U. nagaoi and U. obscurus see ‘comparison’ section of those species. Uperodon palmatus differs from U. triangularis by presence of webbing between toes, I1– 2II 1–3–III1– 3IV 2 2/3– 1V (vs. toes without webbing); and snout equal to eye diameter, male: EL/SL ratio 1.0, N = 4, female: EL/SL ratio 1.0, N = 2 (vs. longer, male: EL/SL ratio 0.6–0.9, N = 20, female: EL/SL ratio 0.7–0.9, N = 4) (Table 4). Uperodon palmatus cannot be confused with three other species, U. nagaoi, U. rohani sp. nov. and U. variegatus, due to presence of more extensive webbing between toes, I1– 2II 1–3–III1– 3IV 2 2/3– 1V (vs. rudimentary or absent); and ventral skin light to dark brown with distinct blotches or spots (vs. brown without prominent blotches or spots in U. nagaoi, and white without blotches or spots in U. rohani sp. nov. and U. variegatus).
Genetic divergence. For 16S mitochondrial gene sequences, the sampled populations of Uperodon palmatus showed an average intraspecific distance of 0.1% (range 0–0.2%, N = 4). Genetically, U. palmatus is closely related to U. obscurus, from which it was found to differ by an average uncorrected genetic distance of 2.4% (range 2.4–2.6%, N = 12). For interspecific genetic distances with all other members of the genus, see Table 3.
Remark. A short general description was published by Parker (1934), though without a comparison with other closely related members. Hence, a detailed description and comparison of this species with all its congeners is provided here.
Redescription of holotype (measurements in mm) (Figs. 3I, 10E–H). Small-sized (SVL 34.6), slender adult female; head small (HW 11.8, HL 9.1, IFE 4.8, IBE 9.4), less than one-third (26.3%) of body length, wider than long (HW/HL ratio 1.3); snout truncate in dorsal view, truncate to rounded in ventral view, and vertical in lateral view, its length (SL 3.6) slightly longer than horizontal diameter of eye (EL 3.5); loreal region acute with rounded canthus rostralis; interorbital space twice as wide (IUE 3.8) as upper eyelid width (UEW 1.9), and internarial distance (IN 1.9); nostril much closer to tip of snout (NS 0.5) than to eye (EN 1.9); supratympanic fold distinct, extending from posterior corner of upper eyelid to insertion of forelimb at axilla; eye diameter (EL 3.5); vomerine odontophores present on the palate, without teeth; indistinct neopalatinal ridges on posterior side of each choana, appear fused with the vomerine odontophores; tongue moderately large, oval, slightly emarginate. Forelimbs (FAL 7.4) shorter than hand length (HAL 10.4); finger length formula I<II<IV<III, tips of all fingers with oval discs, moderately wide compared to finger width (FD I 1.0, FW I 0.3; FD II 1.7, FW II 0.5; FD III 1.7, FW III 0.5; FD IV 1.3, FW IV 0.5); subarticular tubercles prominent, oval, all present; two well-developed palmar tubercles. Hind limbs relatively long and thin, thigh length (TL 14.8) longer than shank (SHL 14.6), and shorter than foot (FOL 15.4); tips of all toes with small truncate to rounded discs, rather wide compared to toe width (TD I 0.8, TW I 0.4; TD II 0.8, TW II 0.5; TD III 0.9, TW III 0.5; TD IV 1.1, TW IV 0.5; TD V 0.8, TW V 0.4); foot webbing present, I1– 2II 1– 3–III 1– 3IV 2 2/ 3– 1V; well-developed dermal fringes present on all toes; subarticular tubercles prominent, oval; two oval smooth metatarsal tubercles.
Skin of snout, between eyes, sides of head, anterior part of dorsum, posterior parts of back, and upper and lower parts of flank, granular (Fig. 3I); dorsal surfaces of forelimb, thigh, tibia and tarsus, shagreened to sparsely granular; anterior parts of thigh with spinular projections.
Colouration. In preservation: Dorsum reddish-brown with light brown spots, prominent light brown median band starting well behind the eye at the level of shoulders and extending up to the vent; flanks light greyish-brown; dorsal surfaces of forelimbs, thigh, shank and foot, light greyish-brown; throat reddish brown; chest light brown; belly light brown with grey spots; ventral surfaces of thigh, tibia and foot, light brown with faint grey spots (Fig. 3I). Colour in life (DZ 1372). Dorsum greyish-brown with irregular blackish-brown spots, prominent dark brown band starting well behind the eye at the level of shoulders and extending up to vent; lower parts of flank brown with faint greyish-white spots; dorsal surfaces of forelimb, thigh, shank and foot, greyish-brown with dark brown cross bands; throat light greyish-brown; chest greyish-brown; belly and ventral surfaces of forelimb, thigh, tibia and foot, brown with scattered greyish-white spots (Fig. 11A).
Variations. Morphometric measurements of six specimens, including the holotype, are given in Table 4. DZ 1331: dorsum light greyish-brown with a blackish-brown dorsal band; DZ 1371: dorsum orangish-brown with dark brown dorsal band.
Secondary sexual characters. Male (DZ 1371): vocal sac externally visible on the lower jaw; female (holotype): ova white, pigmented on pole (diameter 0.7–1.0 mm, N = 10).
Geographical distribution and habitat. Uperodon palmatus is endemic to Sri Lanka with confirmed distribution only in the high elevation regions (1400–2000 m asl) of the Central Province: Agrapatana, Bogawantalawa, Hakgala, Horton plains, Pattipola, Nuwara-Eliya and Morey estate (Fig. 2D; Tables 1, S1). See ‘Natural history and breeding’ observations in the respective section, after the species accounts.
description: Published as part of Garg, Sonali, Senevirathne, Gayani, Wijayathilaka, Nayana, Phuge, Samadhan, Deuti, Kaushik, Manamendra-Arachchi, Kelum, Meegaskumbura, Madhava & Biju, Sd, 2018, An integrative taxonomic review of the South Asian microhylid genus Uperodon, pp. 1-88 in Zootaxa 4384 (1) on pages 35-36, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4384.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/1183455