Raorchestes kaikatti
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Raorchestes kaikatti | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Amphibia |
| Order: | Anura |
| Family: | Rhacophoridae |
| Genus: | Raorchestes |
| Species: | R. kaikatti |
| Binomial name | |
| Raorchestes kaikatti (Biju & Bossuyt, 2009) | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Philautus kaikatti Biju and Bossuyt, 2009 | |
Raorchestes kaikatti, sometimes known as the Kaikatti bushfrog or Kaikatt's bush frog, is an endangered frogs found in the Nelliampathi Hills within the Western Ghats of Kerala, India.[1][2] The species is named after Kaikatti, its type locality.[3][4]
Raorchestes kaikatti are small (but medium-sized in Raorchestes terms), relatively robust-bodied frogs. Males measure 23–26 mm (0.91–1.02 in) in snout–vent length (the type series did not include any females). The dorsum is dark greyish brown with irregular light-grey and dark-brown blotches. There is a dark horizontal grey band in between the eyes.[3]
Scientists named this frog for the place where it was found, Kaikatti.[3] Later surveys showed the frog to be present in small patches of evergreen forest, where it could be found in the canopy, as high as 5 meters above the ground. It was also observed on coffee plantations and other farms near forests.[1]
Scientists classify this frog as endangered because of its small, threatened range and inferred low tolerance to habitat disturbance. Its habitat is subject to continued deforestation associated with small-scale agriculture and the construction of tourism infrastructure.[1]
