Indian Skittering Frog
Euphlyctis cyanophlyctis
Kawal Tiger Reserve
The Indian Skittering Frog (Euphlyctis cyanophlyctis) or Common Skittering Frog is a common dicroglossid frog found in South Asia. It is known under numerous common names, including Indian Skipper Frog or Skittering Frog. They are often seen at the edge of bodies of water with their eyes above the water. They noisily move away from the shore when disturbed, giving them their common name. They are rarely seen outside water.
Of the eight species of skittering frogs found worldwide, seven exist in India, and one new species was discovered in 2015 and formally described in 2016 - the Karaavali Skittering Frog (Euphlyctis karaavali).
The herpetofaunal diversity of Telangana is in the process of being documented (Khartade et al. 2019; Dinesh et al. 2021; Narayana & Bharat 2021) and due to unavailability of a comprehensive database many doubtful species are finding place in various checklists being published from time to time. Telangana State (15.835–19.9176 °N, 77.238–81.3076 °E with altitude ranging between 150–900 m above sea level), located in the Deccan Plateau in the south central part of peninsular India, was part of the erstwhile united Andhra Pradesh (1956–2014) prior to which it contributed to the major land area of the Hyderabad State (1948–1956) and the state of Hyderabad (1724–1948). It encompasses an area of 1,22,077 km². Two major rivers, the Godavari and the Krishna, along with their major and minor tributaries flow through the state (Prasad & Srinivasulu 2021). Telangana has sub-tropical climate and the terrain consists mostly of hills, mountain ranges, and thick dense forests covering an area of 27,292 km². The annual rainfall ranges between 1,100 mm to 1,200 mm and the annual temperature varies from 15°C to 45°C.
Earlier known works on amphibians and reptiles of the region roughly corresponding to the present day Telangana State include the historical works that documented a list of herpetofauna in the erstwhile Madras Presidency, Bombay Presidency, and Central Provinces, Stoliczka (1871, 1872), and described a species of Leaf-toed Gecko based on specimens collected by W.T. Blanford from the Godavari River basin near Bhadrachalam (in the erstwhile Madras Presidency).
Four species of geckoes — Treutler's Gecko (Hemidactylus treutleri) (Mahony, 2009); the Yellow-bellied Gecko (Hemidactylus flavicaudus) (Lajmi et al., 2020); the Nalgonda Yellow-tailed Brookiish Gecko (Hemidactylus xericolus) (Lajmi et al., 2020); and the Chandanapalli Half-toed Gecko (Hemidactylus aemulus) (Kumar et al., 2022) — were described from Telangana. Mahony (2009) described Treutler’s Gecko (Hemidactylus treutleri) based on type specimens collected from the Golconda Fort, Hyderabad; Lajmi et al. (2020) described Hemidactylus flavicaudus and Hemidactylus xericolus based on types collected from Guddeguda, Mahbubnagar district, and Marriguda, Nalgonda district, respectively; while Kumar et al. (2022) described H. aemulus from Chandanapalli and Chaya Someshwara Temple, Nalgonda District.
In recent years, attempts to document the herpetofauna diversity of Telangana were done by Khartade et al. (2019), Dinesh et al. (2021), and Narayana & Bharath (2021). I have attached here a document — A checklist of herpetofauna of Telangana state, India — from the Journal of Threatened Taxa Issue Vol. 14 No. 6 (2022) dated 26 June 2022 which has updates on the information on taxonomy and reports species missed in the earlier literature.
The herpetofauna diversity of Telangana is represented by 98 species including 16 species of amphibians belonging to four families, one species of crocodile, six species of testudines or turtles, 35 species of saurians or lizards and 40 species of snakes.
Herping, the act of observing and documenting reptiles and amphibians, can be a rewarding activity in Telangana, as the state boasts a rich herpetofauna and herping opportunities are available in urban areas, forests, and wildlife sanctuaries.
Three National Parks and nine Wildlife Sanctuaries constitute the Protected Area network of the State covering 5.08% of its geographical area and our focus area today is the northern eastern part of the state and the Kawal Tiger Reserve. The Kawal Tiger Reserve lies within the Jannaram mandal of Adilabad district. Kawal is well known for its abundant flora and fauna. The reserve is catchment for the rivers Godavari and Kadam, which flow towards the south of the sanctuary. The Kawal Tiger Reserve (KTR) is spread over a total area of 2015.44 km² of which the Core Area is 893 km² extending in the districts of Nirmal, Mancherial, Adilabad and Kumuram Bheem Asifabad. Geographically the reserve is situated in the southern-most tip of the Central Indian Tiger Landscape, having linkages with the Tadoba-Andhari (Maharashtra) and Indravati (Chhattisgarh) Tiger Reserve. Thus, the habitat has tremendous significance for tiger conservation in the region. It is also a major catchment of river Godavari and local rivulets like Peddavagu and Kadam. It is a typical central Indian Tiger Landscape having southern Tropical Dry Deciduous Forest. After being listed as a Tiger Reserve in April 2012, it was developed as a tiger habitat with the release of 150 Chital as the prey population and today it is home to Nilgai, Sambhar, Chausingha, Wild Boar, Wild Dogs, Gaur, Foxes, Wolves, Bats, Sloth Bear, Leopards & passing Tigers. The bird life too is abundant with a number of Peacocks, Bulbuls, Partridges, Quails, Flycatchers, Thrushes, Hawk-Cuckoos, Eagles, Vultures to name a few of the 242 bird species reported here. Read about some of them below. To reduce poaching, new check-posts have been created and traditional sources of water improved. HyTiCoS is leading from the front conducting regular threat assessments and snare removal surveys, monitoring the Tigers which are in and passing through, conducting large-scale occupancy surveys and monitoring the prey base. They map corridors, conduct Bird Walks and Biodiversity Documentation Checklists and much more.
Indian Skittering Frog
The Indian Skittering Frog or the Common Skittering Frog (Euphlyctis cyanophlyctis) is one of the most widely distributed frogs. Skittering frogs are called so because of their habit of floating on water and skittering away when disturbed. Their range extends from Thailand to Nepal, throughout India, almost throughout Pakistan below 1800 m. A common dicroglossid frog it is known under numerous common names, including Indian Skipper Frog or Skittering Frog. They are often seen at the edge of bodies of water with their eyes above the water. They noisily move away from the shore when disturbed, giving them their common name. They are rarely seen outside water.
A dicroglossid is a member of the frog family Dicroglossidae, commonly known as fork-tongued frogs. These frogs are found in tropical and subtropical regions of Asia and Africa, with most species residing in Asia. The word "dicroglossid" can be used to refer to the family as a whole or to individual species within the family
Some of the common names used are Small Spotted Frog, Skittering Frog, Indian Skipping Frog, Water Skipping Frog, Studded Frog.
Osteology of Euphlyctis cyanophlyctis, BNHS 6032: A-cranium, dorsal view | B-cranium, ventral view | C-lower jaw | D-hyoid skeleton | E-pectoral girdle | F-forelimb | G-humerus | H-hindlimb | I-tibia and fibula | J-femur | K-pelvic girdle, lateral view | L pelvic girdle, front view and axial skeleton.
Source: Researchgate.net
A description from George Albert Boulenger is:
“Vomerine teeth (“Vomerine” is an adjective relating to the vomer bone. This bone is a thin, flat bone located in the midline of the nasal cavity, and it plays a role in forming the nasal septum. Vomerine structures can also refer to teeth located on this bone, particularly in some amphibians like frogs, where they are used for grasping prey) in two small oblique series extending a little beyond the hinder edge of the choanae (the paired posterior openings of the nasal cavity, also known as the internal nares or posterior nares). Head moderate; snout scarcely pointed; canthus rostralis indistinct; interorbital space much narrower than the upper eyelid; tympanum distinct, about two-thirds the size of the eye. Fingers slender, pointed, first not extending beyond second; toes webbed to the tips, which are pointed, fourth not much longer than third or fifth; outer toe strongly fringed; subarticular tuberclessmall; inner metatarsal tubercle small, conical, much like a rudimentary toe. The tibiotarsal articulation usually reaches a little beyond the eye. Skin with small tubercles and units above, and with more or less distinct rows of pores. Brown or olive above, dark spotted or marbled; two blackish streaks on the hinder side of the thighs, seldom absent; beneath often speckled with blackish. Male with two external vocal vesicles, opening by two slits beneath the angles of the mouth.”
The females are larger than males. Generally smooth back skin; the folds, when present, are clearly visible when the skin is dry. The eyes are placed more towards the top and the eardrum is clearly visible. The interorbital space is narrower than the upper eyelid while the tympanum is distinct, about two thirds the size of the eye. The fingers are slender, pointed or slightly swollen at the tips, with the first not extending beyond the second. The toes are completely webbed; the inner metatarsal tubercle is long and conical much like a rudimentary toe. The male has vocal slits under the lower jaw; dorsum with numerous scattered small smooth tubercles and sides of body wrinkled/ corrugated while the ventrum is smooth. The external vocal sacs are bluish and visible on the either side of the throat when the males call. The under side is white with a white band along the sides and along the rear surface of the thighs. The white vertebral line on the back is not very common in this species. The Indian Skittering Frog usually has a light gray Dorsum, olive green or light brown, sometimes black, with irregular black spots. The thighs posteriorly dark with one or two yellow or white irregular longitudinal stripes. The ventrum is white, immaculate or with dark speckling or reticulation and the vocal sacs are light brown. Normally breeds after the first rain with the males calling from the water and the mating too takes place in the water.
The tadpole is large, with an oval bulging body, broadest at midbody, venter flat with a total length of 42-44 mm, tail 23-24 mm. The eyes are large and lateral. The tail is long, muscular, with wider dorsal and narrower ventral fins with an obtuse tail tip. The anteroventral oral disc has broad anterior labium with a single tooth row, posterior labium is narrower with two rows of teeth. The labial tooth row formula is 1/2. The teeth are arranged in a single row. A tooth is a squarish, medially curved 0.13-0.34 mm long, blunt tipped rod. The beak is broad, finely serrated. A pair of lateral thick labial palps, with blunt, cut into short papillae. The posterior labial palp extends well beyond posterior labium, is narrowly interrupted medially, while its anterior half forms an out pocket to include a patch of smaller papillae. The Dorsum of the tadpole is blackish with dark black blotches and spots extending onto tail and fins (Khan 1982a, 1991a).
This tadpole remains solitary, stays most of the time at the bottom, feeds mostly on debris, almost clogging its digestive tract. Usually no fresh vegetation is detected in its digestive tract. It also feeds on dead tadpoles, drowned animals like earthworms, etc. It attacks sympatric tadpoles and feeds on them (Khan and Mufti 1995).
Euphlyctis cyanophlyctis tadpoles are most common in water bodies throughout the plains of Punjab and Sindh, from late February to mid-September.
In its wide range from Arabia to Thailand, this frog has several subspecies:
Euphlyctis cyanophlyctis seistanica (Nikolskii, 1899) — Found in Seistan (also known as Sistan or Sakastan is a historical region located in south-eastern Iran and extending into parts of south-western Afghanistan and south-western Pakistan. It is a geographically significant area, particularly known for its inland basin and its historical and cultural importance)
Euphlyctis cyanophlyctis typus (De Silva, 1958) — Found in Sri Lanka
Euphlyctis cyanophlyctis fulvus (De Silva, 1958)
Euphlyctis cyanophlyctis flavens (De Silva, 1958)
Euphlyctis cyanophlyctis microspinulata (Khan, 1997) — Northwestern Punjab, Balochistan & Afghanistan
Euphlyctis cyanophlyctis ehrenbergii was described as a distinct species — Found in Arabia
Euphlyctis ehrenbergii Peter (Balletto et al. 1985)
The Indian Skittering Frog is a highly aquatic and littoral frog. It remains permanently resident in different types of habitats with pooled water, in the plains and sub-mountainous parts of its range. The frog is remarkably capable of adjusting itself to the uncertain aquatic conditions in temperate arid parts.
These frogs either float or remain squatting in the vegetation along marginal water as you can see in my photos. When an intruder initiates the frog’s skipping behavior — during which the flattened and inflated ventral surface of the body rests on the water surface while the push comes from the completely distended webbed feet which steer the body forward — and the frog is speedily carried to the center of the water body. If and when further provoked, it plunges into the depths. This peculiar and unique habit of skittering over the water surface, was reported by the Mughal Emperor Babar in his autobiography (Beveridge 1979; Khan and Tasnim, 1989).
The frogs have the ability to leap out of the water from a floating position. A cross section of the phalanx bones shows annual growth rings which may be used for determining age.
The Indian Skittering Frog can tolerate a wide range of pH variations, from fresh water to considerably brackish and polluted refuse water; it thrives equally well in sewer systems of towns and cities.
Individual frogs call from permanent water bodies almost throughout the year. However, active breeding activity is initiated as early summer water temperature rises to 10-12°C (Khan and Malik 1987b). The calling males usually gather in a corner of a pond with some marginal vegetation. Some sit on the moist margin while others float. The tone of call is variable, depending on water and atmospheric temperatures, and the age and breeding state of the frogs. It is a "chuutt, chuutt, chuutt" repeated several times. The calling males are very active, calling and squeaking and continuously jumping over each other, causing a commotion in the waters. They also actively assault each other during their reproductive frenzy. When a pair is formed it does not leave the site. A female may pair with several males, laying eggs with each.
The following gallery illustrates the habitat the frogs frequent.
Euphlyctis cyanophlyctis is a voracious feeder, feeding mostly on aquatic insects, beetles, tadpoles, dragonflies, grasshoppers, fry, etc. It is known to come out of the water during the night and go foraging in the surrounding grass, returning to the pond at dawn.
Source: BerkeleyMapper
The species is widely distributed in South Asia and Southeast Asia, from Southeastern Iran, Southern Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bhutan, Nepal, and Eastern India at low to moderate elevations east through Bangladesh and Northeastern India to extreme Western Myanmar. In addition, records exist from Sri Lanka (likely Eyphlyctis mudigere), Thailand (possibly introduced), and Vietnam. It has recently been reported also from Bhutan. Records for Bangladesh have recently been reassigned to the Kalasgram Skittering Frog (Euphlyctis kalasgramensis). The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) does not include any areas east from India and Bangladesh in the distribution area.
Although the frog is very common in every type of small or large water bodies, the pollutants in water do affect the frog. Either adults are killed or migrate to new ponds. However, tadpoles and eggs perish. The frog and its tadpoles are common in the diet of herons and other water visiting birds. It is included in the dietary of several common snakes, varanids and crocodiles.
Drainage of wetlands are direct threats to this species.
Relationship with Humans: It is a pest exterminator, feeding voraciously on different insects and their larvae.
Possible reasons for amphibian decline:
General habitat alteration and loss
Habitat modification from deforestation, or logging related activities
Urbanization
Prolonged drought
Drainage of habitat
Dams changing river flow and/or covering habitat
Subtle changes to necessary specialized habitat
Habitat fragmentation
Local pesticides, fertilizers, and pollutants
Long-distance pesticides, toxins, and pollutants
The Frog Watch India portal has emerged to be an important place to post observations and is a growing repository of frog images. The recent discovery of the Karaavali Skittering Frog by C.R. Naik goes to show that a lot of times, discoveries are made by accident and scientists should shed their ideological lab coats and work with citizen scientists. Only then can we have a successful amphibian conservation programmes, not only India, but across the globe.
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