A field guide to the caecilians of the Western Ghats, India

Bhatta, Gopalakrishna

doi:10.1007/bf02728526

Cited by 13 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…All amphibians were identified using the best available literature, and their nomenclature considered using the latest taxonomical authorities [ 6 , 26 , 69 , 77 – 85 ]. The classification of several of the taxa found in this study is still evolving.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Micro-habitat distribution drives patch quality for sub-tropical rocky plateau amphibians in the northern Western Ghats, India

et al. 2018

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The importance of patch quality for amphibians is frequently overlooked in distribution models. Here we demonstrate that it is highly important for the persistence of endemic and endangered amphibians found in the threatened and fragile ecosystems that are the rocky plateaus in Western Maharashtra, India. These plateaus are ferricretes of laterite and characterise the northern section of the Western Ghats/Sri Lanka Biodiversity Hotspot, the eighth most important global hotspot and one of the three most threatened by population growth. We present statistically supported habitat associations for endangered and data-deficient Indian amphibians, demonstrating significant relationships between individual species and their microhabitats. Data were collected during early monsoon across two seasons. Twenty-one amphibian taxa were identified from 14 lateritic plateaus between 67 and 1179m above sea level. Twelve of the study taxa had significant associations with microhabitats using a stepwise analysis of the AICc subroutine (distLM, Primer-e, v7). Generalist taxa were associated with increased numbers of microhabitat types. Non-significant associations are reported for the remaining 9 taxa. Microhabitat distribution was spatially structured and driven by climate and human activity. Woody plants were associated with 44% of high-elevation taxa. Of the 8 low-elevation taxa 63% related to water bodies and 60% of those were associated with pools. Rock size and abundance were important for 33% of high elevation specialists. Three of the 4 caecilians were associated with rocks in addition to soil and stream presence. We conclude the plateaus are individualistic patches whose habitat quality is defined by their microhabitats within climatic zones.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Micro-habitat distribution drives patch quality for sub-tropical rocky plateau amphibians in the northern Western Ghats, India

et al. 2018

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“…Taxonomy morphology Balakrishna et al (1983) ma Reproduction Seshachar et al (1982) ma Reprroduction Inger & Dutta (1987) b, ma, p, s Distribution Nussbaum & Wilkinson (1989) b, ma, p, s Systematics Das & Whitaker (1990) p Distribution, habitat Andrews & George (1993) ma, p, s Checklist Krishnamurthy & Shakuntala (1993) b, ma Distribution Krishnamurthy (1996) b Distribution Daniels (1992) b, ma, p, s Distribution Bhatta (1997) ma Distribution, habitat Dutta (1997) b, ma, p, s Systematics, distribution Bhatta (1998) b, ma, p, s Systematics, distribution Das & Dutta (1998) b, ma, p, s Checklist Pillai & Ravichandran (1999) b, ma, p, s Systematics, distribution Bhatta (1999) m Feeding, reproduction Krishnamurthy & Hussain (2000) b Distribution Oommen et al (2000) cf. p Distribution Ravichandran & Krishnamurthy (2001) b, ma, p Systematics, distribution Chanda (2002) b, ma, p, s Systematics, distribution Ghate (2002) b, s Checklist Naik & Vinod (2002) b Conservation biology Venkatachalaiah & Venu (2002) m Karyology Gower et al (2002); [12] Bossuyt et al (2004) cf.…”

Section: Sample Numbers and Horizontal Line Between Samples 13 And 14mentioning

confidence: 99%

Remarkable genetic homogeneity in unstriped, long‐tailed Ichthyophis along 1500 km of the Western Ghats, India

Gower

Dharne

Bhatta³

et al. 2007

Journal of Zoology

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The mountainous Western Ghats are part of a biodiversity hotspot and extend for about 1600 km, lying close and subparallel to the west coast of peninsular India. The region is a centre of diversity for amphibians, and recent preliminary work on some components of both caecilian (Gymnophiona) and frog (Anura) fauna is indicative of a high degree of local endemism. We investigated diversity in mitochondrial rRNA 12S and 16S sequences for long-tailed, unstriped Ichthyophis (Amphibia: Gymnophiona: Ichthyophiidae) that potentially represent four taxonomically confused and poorly known endemic caecilian species. Data were analysed for18 individuals from along c.

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“…3). Taylor (1960), Sarkar et al (1992), Dutta (1997), Bhatta (1998), Pillai and Ravichandran (1999), Anders et al (2002), Chanda (2002), Rai (2003), Kupfer and Müller (2004), Shah and Tiwari (2004), Kamei et al (2009), Wangyal (2014), Kamei and Biju (2016), and Kamei (2017), we identified them as Ichthyophis by being limbless and wormlike in general appearance and by having a short tentacle between the eye and nostril on each side of the head, small scales usually embedded in the skin, body with a series of annulations, and a short tail; and as I. sikkimensis by lacking a lateral stripe and having about 293-313 annuli, ten or fewer caudal folds, and 18-21 teeth on each dentary and 1-10 on each splenial with teeth not conspicuously sunken in pits. The identity of the species was confirmed by Prof. Karan Bahadur Shah.…”

Section: Reptiles and Amphibians C O N S E R V At I O N A N D N At U R A L H I S T O R Ymentioning

confidence: 99%

New records of the Sikkimese Caecilian, Ichthyophis sikkimensis Taylor 1960 (Amphibia: Gymnophiona: Ichthyophiidae), in Nepal

Nepali

Singh

2021

RandA

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A field guide to the caecilians of the Western Ghats, India

Cited by 13 publications

References 7 publications

Micro-habitat distribution drives patch quality for sub-tropical rocky plateau amphibians in the northern Western Ghats, India

Micro-habitat distribution drives patch quality for sub-tropical rocky plateau amphibians in the northern Western Ghats, India

Remarkable genetic homogeneity in unstriped, long‐tailed Ichthyophis along 1500 km of the Western Ghats, India

New records of the Sikkimese Caecilian, Ichthyophis sikkimensis Taylor 1960 (Amphibia: Gymnophiona: Ichthyophiidae), in Nepal

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