Frogs of Coorg from mampam.com: Microhyla rubra type 1
Frogs of Coorg from mampam.com: Microhyla rubra type 1
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Microhyla rubra Type I (WG5609) Type II(WG5610) Two forms of M.rubra were recognised on the basis of size, pattern and calls - see Chapters 7 and 11. However for most analyses the two forms were grouped together. This microhylid was the most abundant frog on Luckunda estate, found at all sites and often in densities of over 20 per m2 at Site 1. Both types could be heard calling together but at some sites only the large microhylid was found calling in abundance. These frogs were also found in the coffee plantation and sacred grove not clustered around water. Although typically a ground dwelling species, individuals were also frequently found up to 40cm above the ground on the stalks and branches of understorey vegetation. Many pairs were found in amplexus both on the ground and in the water, sometimes submerged. Not enough information was gathered to determine whether there were morphological differences between the tadpoles of the two types. The egg masses are laid in a flat transparent sheet-like mass on the surface of shallow water. Towards the end of the study many tiny metamorph microhylids were found. It is possible that one of these forms is identical to a recently described Microhyla species from Karnataka (ref Kanamadi et al. (1994) described courtship, amplexus and the advertisement call of M. rubra, which bears closest resemblance to our (larger) Type 2. Call of Type 1 |
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Index Methods Species Tadpoles Team Library |
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The advertisement call is made from the ground, usually in grassy areas close to water. The call has a dominant/fundamental frequency of 3.67kHz, with energy concentrated between 2.5 and 4.7kHz (Figure 1b), and consists of a series of chirps (Figure 1a), each with an average length of about 0.9 seconds. Each chirp is composed of about 80 pulses with an average length of 0.006 seconds (Figure 1c). This call bears little resemblance to that described by Kanamadi et al. (1994) for M. rubra, nor with the call of M. rubra type 2 considered here (Figure 1d).
Figure 1a. Advertisement call of Microhyla rubra type 1.
Pulse from call of Microhyla rubra type 1 Power spectrum for Microhyla rubra type 1
Call of M. rubra type 1 followed by M. rubra type 2
Images and text © Daniel Bennett and Katie Hampson 2000
Sounds © British Library of Wildlife Sounds 1998