''Micrixalus herrei'' is a newly redescribed species of

frog A frog is any member of a diverse and largely Carnivore, carnivorous group of short-bodied, tailless amphibians composing the order (biology), order Anura (ανοὐρά, literally ''without tail'' in Ancient Greek). The oldest fossil "proto-f ...

in the family Micrixalidae. Originally described in 1942, it was synonymized with '' M. fuscus'' in 1984. However, morphological differences as well as DNA evidence confirm this species to be valid. 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 elsew ...

to the Western Ghats,

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

, and occurs south of the

Shencottah Gap Sengottai (also known as Shencottah, Chenkotta or Shenkottai) is a town in the Tenkasi district, of Tamil Nadu, India. It is the gateway to southern Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Spread over an area of 2.68 km2 with a population of over 26,823, t ...

Kerala Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...

and

Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a States and union territories of India, state in southern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of India ...

states. The common name Kallar dancing frog has been proposed for this species, in reference to

Kallar, Trivandrum Kallar is a small town in Thiruvananthapuram district in Kerala, India. Kallar is 45 km from Thiruvananthapuram, while the town of Ponmudi Ponmudi (the Golden Peak) also known as Kashmir of Kerala is a hill station in the Peringamal ...

, its type locality.

Description

Males measure and females in snout–vent length. The head is small and flat above with a pointed snout that is rounded in lateral view. The dorsum is reddish orange with irregular, light brown patches. The tympanum and its surroundings are dark grey. The throat, cheast, and belly are greyish white with some greyish yellow reticulation on the belly. Male ''Micrixalus herrei'' have a single

vocal sac The vocal sac is the flexible membrane of skin possessed by most male frogs and toads. The purpose of the vocal sac is usually as an amplification of their mating or advertisement call. The presence or development of the vocal sac is one way o ...

and a nuptial pad on the first finger. Characteristic for the genus, they display the foot-flagging behaviour. Male-male combats also involve kicking.

Habitat

The natural

habitat In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species habitat can be seen as the physical ...

s of this species are fast flowing streams and rivulets in primary and secondary forests. It is relatively abundant where it has been found.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q16863140 herrei Amphibians described in 1942 Endemic fauna of the Western Ghats Frogs of India