Distribution status of the Western Burrowing Frog, Sphaerotheca pashchima in India

Deepak, P.; Dinesh, K. P.; Prasad, Vishal Kumar; Das, Abhijit; Ashadevi, J. S.

doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4894.1.10

Zootaxa

2020

DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4894.1.10

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Distribution status of the Western Burrowing Frog, Sphaerotheca pashchima in India

P. Deepak¹,

K. P. Dinesh²,

Vishal Kumar Prasad³

et al.

Abstract: In a recent study, Hortal et al. (2015) recognized seven shortfalls of knowledge that hamper our understanding of biodiversity. Three of these are of particular importance for drawing conservation strategies for ecological indicator species, among which we can count the amphibians (Simon et al. 2011): the Linnean shortfall describes ‘the knowledge incongruity between the described species and the remaining species yet to be described’ (Brown & Lomolino 1998); the Wallacean shortfall defines ‘paucity of kno… Show more

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Cited by 4 publications

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Chytridiomycosis in Asian Amphibians, a Global Resource for Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) Research

Sreedharan

Vasudevan

2021

J Indian Inst Sci

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Chytridiomycosis is an emerging infectious disease affecting amphibians globally and it is caused by the fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis ( Bd ) . Chytridiomycosis has caused dramatic declines and even extinctions in wild amphibian populations in Europe, Australia, Central and North America. Spanning over two and a half decades, extensive research has led to discovery of epizootic and enzootic lineages of this pathogen. However, the Bd –amphibian system had garnered less attention in Asia until recently when an ancestral Bd lineage was identified in the Korean peninsula. Amphibians co-exist with the pathogen in Asia, only sub-lethal effects have been documented on hosts. Such regions are ‘coldspots’ of infection and are an important resource to understand the dynamics between the enzootic pathogen— Bd and its obligate host—amphibians. Insights into the biology of infection have provided new knowledge on the multi-faceted interaction of Bd in a hyperdiverse Asian amphibian community. We present the findings and highlight the knowledge gap that exists, and propose the ways to bridge them. We emphasize that chytridiomycosis in Asia is an important wildlife disease and it needs focussed research, as it is a dynamic front of pathogen diversity and virulence.

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Chytridiomycosis in Asian Amphibians, a Global Resource for Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) Research

Sreedharan

Vasudevan

2021

J Indian Inst Sci

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Discovery and description of a new species of burrowing frog Sphaerotheca Günther, 1859 (Anura: Dicroglossidae) from the suburban landscapes of Bengaluru, India

DEEPAK,

DINESH,

NAG

et al. 2024

Zootaxa

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Recent resolution of prevailing taxonomic ambiguities in the genus Sphaerotheca and new species discoveries from urban/suburban landscapes highlight the need for attention to non-forested habitats for amphibian conservation. In this paper, we review the status of the members of the genus Sphaerotheca and justify the synonymy of Sphaerotheca magadha as a junior synonym of Sphaerotheca swani. The prospects of resurrection of Sphaerotheca swani (herein preliminarily referred to as Sphaerotheca cf. breviceps [swani]) are discussed. In addition, we describe a new species Sphaerotheca varshaabhu sp. nov. from the suburban region of Bengaluru, India. We employ an integrative taxonomic approach to characterize the new species using molecular phylogeny, genetic distance, morphological characters, and geographical isolation as lines of evidence. We also provide a description of vocal repertoire of Sphaerotheca varshaabhu sp. nov. and provide comparative bioacoustics data for four species. This previously undescribed species from the suburban areas of Bengaluru described herein as Sphaerotheca varshaabhu sp. nov. forms a genetically divergent lineage and its genetic distance varied from 3.6% to 12.2% for 16S rRNA with respect to other species of Sphaerotheca. Our phylogenetic analysis for the genus including the new species confirms the synonymy of one recently described species, resulting in 10 valid species in the genus Sphaerotheca. These results emphasize the need for utilizing an integrative taxonomic approach for uncovering hidden diversity of suburban areas. Given these recent discoveries, we advocate for more robust surveys in human dominated areas, so that these amphibians may receive more attention.

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Revisited Molecular Phylogeny of the Genus Sphaerotheca (Anura: Dicroglossidae): The Biogeographic Status of Northernmost Populations and Further Taxonomic Changes

Jablonski

Masroor²,

Hofmann

2021

Diversity

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Heretofore, the populations of the genus Sphaerotheca Günther, 1859 (Dicroglossidae) in their northern and western borders laying in Pakistan have been assigned to two species, S. breviceps (Schneider, 1799) and S. strachani (Murray, 1884). The genus has origin in the Oriental zoogeographic region and comes to close geographic proximity with the Palearctic region in Pakistan. The recent molecular studies have on one hand restricted the distribution range of S. breviceps to the eastern coastal plains of India and, on the other hand, revealed the northern- and westernmost population in India as a separate species, S. pashchima Padhye et al., 2017. This species has recently been synonymized with S. maskeyi (Schleich and Anders, 1998). These taxonomic changes, however, warranted the need for validation of Pakistani Sphaerotheca based on genetic data. We sequenced and analyzed 16S rRNA mitochondrial gene from specimens originating from the Himalayan foothills of Pakistan and compared these with all available GenBank sequences of the genus. Based on this data, we conclude that the Himalayan foothills of Pakistan are occupied by S. maskeyi. Simultaneously, we bring the first record of this species for the Palearctic region. We further suggest that more genetic material from across Pakistan is required to ascertain the validity of S. strachani and for the phylogeographic evaluation of western and northern border populations of the genus. Our geographically wide and revisited molecular phylogeny shows that the genus exhibits genetic diversity suggesting further taxonomic changes. The low level of genetic divergences between S. breviceps and S. magadha Prasad et al., 2019 compared to other species of the genus, indicates that the taxonomic status of S. magadha is questionable. Moreover, we found that S. magadha and S. swani (Mayers and Leviton, 1956) are genetically conspecific with S. breviceps and both should be thus considered as its junior synonyms. On the other hand, S. dobsonii and populations from Myanmar need further detailed investigations.

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Distribution status of the Western Burrowing Frog, Sphaerotheca pashchima in India

Cited by 4 publications

References 0 publications

Chytridiomycosis in Asian Amphibians, a Global Resource for Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) Research

Chytridiomycosis in Asian Amphibians, a Global Resource for Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) Research

Discovery and description of a new species of burrowing frog Sphaerotheca Günther, 1859 (Anura: Dicroglossidae) from the suburban landscapes of Bengaluru, India

Revisited Molecular Phylogeny of the Genus Sphaerotheca (Anura: Dicroglossidae): The Biogeographic Status of Northernmost Populations and Further Taxonomic Changes

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