Kaloula walteri

Kaloula walteri is a species of frog in the family Microhylidae. It is endemic to the Philippines, where it is found in the mountains of southeastern Luzon Island and Polillo Island.[1][3] The specific name walteri honors Walter C. Brown,[2] an American herpetologist.[4] Common name Walter's narrow-mouthed frog has been proposed for it.[2] Kaloula walteri is most closely related to Kaloula rigida.[5]

Kaloula walteri
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Microhylidae
Genus: Kaloula
Species:
K. walteri
Binomial name
Kaloula walteri
Diesmos, Brown, and Alcala, 2002[2]

Description

Adult males measure 25–32 mm (1.0–1.3 in) and adult females, based on a single specimen only, 31 mm (1.2 in) in snout–vent length. The overall appearance is rotund. The head is small. The snout is slightly pointed. The tympanum is partially concealed by the supratympanic fold. The fingers have slightly expanded discs. The toes have barely evident fleshy basal webbing. Skin is smooth. Dorsal coloration is reddish brown, gray brown, dark lavender, or light gray. Most specimens have marbled dorsal pattern, but some are uniformly colored. The venter is light reddish to orange brown with pale yellowish to whitish spots, or rarely pale gray with cream spots. The throat is reddish brown in the female and very dark gray to black in males.[2]

Habitat and conservation

Kaloula walteri inhabits lower montane and lowland forests at elevations up to 1,000 m (3,300 ft) above sea level. It can occasionally be found in human-modified habitats beside such forests. Its preferred habitat are cool and unpolluted mountain streams and ephemeral pools, which are also its larval habitat. It is sometimes observed in dry stream beds too. It can be locally common in mountain streams. However, it is threatened by habitat loss caused by small-scale shifting agriculture, expanding human settlements, wood collection, and illegal logging. It is present in Mount Banahaw-San Cristobal Protected Landscape and Mount Isarog Natural Park.[1]

References
  1. IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group (2018). "Kaloula walteri". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2018: e.T57860A58478487. Retrieved 19 June 2020.
  2. Diesmos, Arvin C.; Brown, Rafe M. & Alcala, Angel C. (2002). "New species of narrow-mouthed frog (Amphibia: Anura: Microhylidae; genus Kaloula) from the mountains of southern Luzon and Polillo islands, Philippines". Copeia. 2002 (4): 1037–1051.
  3. Frost, Darrel R. (2020). "Kaloula walteri Diesmos, Brown, and Alcala, 2002". Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.1. American Museum of Natural History. doi:10.5531/db.vz.0001. Retrieved 19 June 2020.
  4. Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael & Grayson, Michael (2013). The Eponym Dictionary of Amphibians. Pelagic Publishing. p. 32. ISBN 978-1-907807-42-8.
  5. Blackburn, David C.; Siler, Cameron D.; Diesmos, Arvin C.; McGuire, Jimmy A.; Cannatella, David C. & Brown, Rafe M. (2013). "An adaptive radiation of frogs in a southeast Asian island archipelago". Evolution. 67 (9): 2631–2646. doi:10.1111/evo.12145. PMC 3920640. PMID 24033172.
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