''Pulchrana banjarana'' is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

true frog True frogs is the common name for the frog family Ranidae. They have the widest distribution of any frog family. They are abundant throughout most of the world, occurring on all continents except Antarctica. The true frogs are present in North Am ...

s, family Ranidae. It is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found else ...

to the Malay Peninsula, occurring from the extreme southern

Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...

Peninsular Malaysia Peninsular Malaysia ( ms, Semenanjung Malaysia; Jawi: سمننجڠ مليسيا), or the States of Malaya ( ms, Negeri-negeri Tanah Melayu; Jawi: نڬري-نڬري تانه ملايو), also known as West Malaysia or the Malaysian Peninsula, ...

; however, it might also occur in Sumatra (

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...

). The specific name ''banjarana'' is derived from the Malay word for "mountain range", ''banjaran'', and refers to the distribution of this species in the highlands of the Malay Peninsula.

Description

Adult males measure in snout–vent length. The overall appearance is moderately stocky. The head is longer than it is wide and the snout is obtuse, slightly projecting, and rounded in profile. The tympanum is distinct and the supratympanic fold is present. The fingers and the toes bear small discs with circum-marginal grooves. The toes are partially webbed. The colouration of the dorsum and the sides is olive brown–orange brown with black reticulations; black pigmentation is usually absent from the tip of the snout,

canthus rostralis In snakes and amphibians, the canthus, canthal ridge or ''canthus rostralis'',Spawls S, Branch B. 1995. ''The Dangerous Snakes of Africa''. Ralph Curtis Books. Dubai: Oriental Press. 192 pp. . is the angle between the flat crown of the head and the ...

, margin of upper eyelid, and dorsolateral folds. The lores are black, the

iris Iris most often refers to: *Iris (anatomy), part of the eye *Iris (mythology), a Greek goddess * ''Iris'' (plant), a genus of flowering plants * Iris (color), an ambiguous color term Iris or IRIS may also refer to: Arts and media Fictional ent ...

is orange, and the tympanum is deep brown. The limbs (except for the upper arms) have black barring or reticulation. The ventrum is light grey to dark brown with some white spots.

Habitat and conservation

''Pulchrana banjarana'' inhabits streams in highland and montane tropical forests at elevations of above sea level. Males call from the sides of forest streams while perched low on fallen branches or live vegetation, or on sandy banks or leaf litter. The

tadpole A tadpole is the larval stage in the biological life cycle of an amphibian. Most tadpoles are fully aquatic, though some species of amphibians have tadpoles that are terrestrial. Tadpoles have some fish-like features that may not be found ...

s occur in slow-flowing stream sections with sandy bottom. It is becoming rare, but it is not yet considered threatened by the IUCN.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q24679600 banjarana Frogs of Asia Amphibians of Malaysia Amphibians of Thailand Amphibians described in 2003