Amphibians of Doon Valley (Dehra Dun, Uttarakhand) with Their Systematics, Distribution, Ecology, Conservation Status and Threats - Aquatic Ecosystem: Biodiversity, Ecology and Conservation - page 220

small rounded tubercles above and on sides,
limbs with tubercular glands, smooth below with
densely set tubercles on anal region and posterior
side of thigh.
Colouration: Greyish-olive above with large
dark markings beginning between eyes and grad-
ually widening on hinder part of body, sometimes
with reddish-brown spots; dull below.
Sexual Dimorphism: Male quite smaller and
slimmer than female with a sub-gular vocal sac in
a transverse fold of skin on throat, ventral aspect
profusely pigmented in contrast to female which
exhibits much less pigmentation.
Size: 2.8 cm in length between snout and vent.

Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal; Pakistan, Southeast
Asia, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Viet Nam (An
Nam, Tonkin).

Habitat and Ecology
Found in a number of habitat types including
lowland scrub forest, grassland, agricultural land,
pastureland and urban areas. Being sub-fossorial
in habit, it is also found in forest fl oor leaf litter.
It is mostly a nocturnal and is only active diur-
nally during the rainy season. It breeds in tempo-
rary rain pools and other stagnant water bodies. It
may occur in modifi ed areas, like non-intensively
farmed agricultural land.

Tadpole
Body transparent, head hexagonal with a
diamond-shaped golden patch; tail long, more or
less transparent with acutely pointed tip, looking
like a fi lament.

Conservation Status
IUCN Red List: Least Concern.

Threats
There are no major threats to this species but
might be locally threatened by agrochemical pol-
lution of land and water and the conversion of
habitat to intensively cultivated land.

Distribution
Occurs up to 2,000 m asl.

Localities in Doon Valley
Eastern Doon Valley: Dehra Dun City;
Lachhiwala; Motichur; Rajaji National Park
( partim ); Rajpur; Rishikesh and Sahastradhara.
Western Doon Valley: Premnagar, Jhajra,
Selakui, Sahaspur, Asan Reservoir, Dhalipur and
Dakpathar and Badshahi Bagh road.

Remarks
Matsui et al. ( 2005 ) in restricted this species to
the Indian subcontinent; populations in Southeast
Asia, China and Taiwan belonging to Microhyla
fi ssipes ; and populations in the Ryukyu
Archipelago (Japan) belong to M. okinavensis .
Genus: Uperodon Dumeril and Bibron, 1841

Uperodon systoma (Schneider, 1799)

Uttarakhand
Dehra Dun, Tehri, Pauri and Nainital. Corbett
Tiger Reserve. Rajaji National Park. English Names

Balloon Frog, Globular Frog, Indistinct Frog,
Lesser Balloon Frog and Marbled Balloon Frog. India

Throughout from Cape to Himalayan foothills.
Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Assam,
Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Eastern Ghats, Gujarat,
Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and
Kashmir, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur,
Meghalaya,

Diagnostic Characters

Adult
Tympanum hidden; tongue entire; fi ngers free
with tips simple, 1st shorter than 2nd which
almost equal to 4th, 3rd the longest, sub-articular
tubercles indistinct; a pair of strong shovel-
shaped metatarsal tubercles, toes webbed at base
with tips simple, 1st the smallest and 4th the lon-
gest; skin smoothly tubercular, throat and chest

Mizoram, Nagaland, Punjab,

Rajasthan, Tripura and West Bengal.

Elsewhere
Bangladesh; Bhutan, China (Hainan, Kiangau,
Sze-chwan, Taiwan), Cochin-China, Indo-China,