Anurans of Bhitarkanika mangroves, Odisha, east coast of India

Abstract

Anurans of Bhitarkanika National Park, the second largest viable mangrove ecosystem measuring 141.44 km2 on the east coast of India, are understudied. This paper presents a comprehensive list of anuran species encountered in and around the protected area. Visual Encounter Surveys during the rainy and winter season in four sites yielded a total of 14 species belonging to five families. Of these, eight species were new records from Bhitarkanika National Park, belonging to the families Bufonidae (Duttaphrynus stomaticus), Dicroglossidae (Euphlyctis hexadactylus, Fejervarya cancrivora, Fejervarya syhadrensis, Hoplobatrachus crassus, Sphaerotheca rolandae), Microhylidae (Microhyla ornata) and Ranidae (Hylarana tytleri). Sightings of Sphaerotheca rolandae, Hylarana tytleri and Duttaphrynus stomaticus were very few in number. All other species found were well represented throughout the study area. Scope for future suggested studies is emphasized.

Physiological Response of Pelophylax nigromaculatus Adults to Salinity Exposure

“…The changes in salinity have various effects on the amphibian population [ 6 , 7 , 8 ], and can actually be frequently observed in them. More than 100 amphibian species have been found in habitats that are exposed to predictable saline conditions, such as mangrove forests that experience tidal cycles or habitats that undergo high rates of evaporation during certain periods [ 9 , 10 ]. They have also been found in habitats with unpredictable salinity, such as areas affected by sea-level rise due to climate change, areas that experience seawater intrusion during coastal storms, intermittently opening estuaries, and habitats affected by salt deicing treatments from roads [ 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 ].…”

Structural characteristics of mangrove forest in different coastal habitats of Gulf of Khambhat arid region of Gujarat, west coast of India

“…Gulf of Khambhat is home to Avicennia marina ; it is generally known as gray mangrove or white mangroves, the community of these tree species is in many forests of Indian coastal edges. Studies on the ecology, distribution, diversity of mangrove species and mangrove associates have been carried out in many coastal areas in India such as Andhra Pradesh ( Madhusudhana Rao et al., 2015 ), Andaman and Nicobar Islands ( Kiruba-Sankar et al., 2018 ; Sreelekshmi et al., 2020a ), Goa ( Pawar, 2012 ), Gujarat ( Bhatt and Shah, 2009 ; Ragavan et al., 2016 ), Karnataka ( Kumar and Kumara, 2012 ), Kerala ( Vidyasagaran and Madhusoodanan, 2014 ), Maharashtra ( Kantharajan et al., 2018 ), Odisha ( Jena et al., 2013 ; Mohanta et al., 2020 ), Pondicherry ( Balach et al., 2009 ), Tamil Nadu ( Arunprasath and Gomathinayagam, 2014 ), West Bengal ( Brahma and Mukherjee, 2016 ; Sreelekshmi et al., 2020b ). The present survey has been made to procure a list of mangrove and mangrove associates in gulf of khambhat region.…”

Low salinity increases survival, body weight and development in tadpoles of the Chinese edible frogHoplobatrachus rugulosus

“…Specific populations have been reported to inhabit or tolerate some degrees of brackish/saline waters. Some populations of euryhaline species, such as Fejervarya cancrivora , Fejervarya limnocharis , Bufotes balearicus , Epidalea calamita , Litoria aurea and Hoplobatrachus tigerinus can tolerate high saline conditions (Gordon, Schmidt‐Nielsen & Kelly ; Katz ; Christy & Dickman ; Gomez‐Mestre & Tejedo ; Wu & Kam ; Jena, Palita & Mahapatra ). In contrast, other species, such as Rana temporaria , Buergeria japonica , Kaloula pulchra , Microhyla ornata , and Bufo bufo are more stenohaline and are rarely found in salinized environs (Gordon et al .…”