Bronzed frog, Günther's golden-backed frog
Indosylvirana temporalis, commonly known as the bronzed frog or Günther's golden-backed frog, is a species of true frog found in the riparian evergreen forests of the highlands of southwestern Sri Lanka. They are found abundantly on or close to the ground near water. Individuals are not shy and react by jumping only when provoked. They are important prey of many species of snakes, including the vine snake. Some related species found in the Western Ghats of India were formerly included in this species but were separated in a 2014 study.
The frogs' common name is derived from the small bronze-coloured strips that appear on either side of the lower jaw, between the snout and the posterior point of the forelimbs, within a week after metamorphosis. The species has been referred to by several names, including Hylarana malabarica (incorrectly), Rana flavascens, Rana malabarica, Hylorana malabarica, Hylorana temporalis, Hylorana flavescens, Rana temporalis, Sylvirana temporalis, and Hylarana temporalis.
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
Oviparous animals are female animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive...
Jumping (saltation) can be distinguished from running, galloping, and other gaits where the entire body is temporarily airborne by the relatively l...
Grazing is a method of feeding in which a herbivore feeds on plants such as grasses, or other multicellular organisms such as algae. In agriculture...
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starts withIts vomerine teeth are present in two oblique series that extend beyond the level of the hind edge of the choanae. Its head is depressed and triangular; the snout is subacuminate and prominent. The canthus rostralis is angular and the loreal region is nearly vertical and strongly concave. The interorbital space is as broad as the upper eyelid or rather broader in some cases. The tympanum is very distinct and is as large as the eye, but sometimes a little smaller.
The digits are moderate wherein the first extends beyond the second. The toes are almost entirely webbed. The tips of the fingers and toes are dilated into well-developed disks. Its subarticular tubercles are well developed, while the inner metatarsal tubercle is oval and blunt with a small, round, outer metatarsal tubercle and no tarsal fold. The tibiotarsal articulation reaches from the nostril to the tip of the snout and sometimes a little beyond it.
The skin of these frogs is smooth or finely granulate above, with a narrow glandular lateral fold. While the dorsal regions are brown coloured, the loreal and temporal regions, and sometimes also the sides of the body are dark brown in colour. A white labial band can also be seen. Its limbs have dark cross bands. The ventral parts are typically white, with the throat and breast more or less speckled with brown spots. Males have internal vocal sacs and oval flat glands on the inner side of their arms. Males also have a strong pad on the inner side of the first finger, covered during the breeding season with a greyish brown velvet-like horny layer.
The bronzed frog is found only in Sri Lanka. They are chiefly found on edges of rocky streams at low altitude. They sit exposed on flat rocks and stones, and leap, often to a considerable distance, into the water when disturbed.
The bronzed frog typically breeds along the edges of gently flowing and/or in pockets of still water along the streams. The muddy colour of the tadpoles matches well with the substratum of the stream. The oral armature is well-suited for grazing at the bottom. In near permanent water, the tadpoles may have longer metamorphic duration (3–4 mo) to enable body growth and emergence of larger/stronger froglets.
Breeding season begins from August to May, and males will begin their mating call from 9:00 to 11:00 PM. Eggs are slightly green in color and can be found in clutches of 800 to 1200. These are usually deposited at the edges of rocky pools.
