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Family : RANIDAE
Species : Pulchrana banjarana
Size (snout to vent) :
Females up to 5.5 cm, males up to 4.2 cm
The Banjaran Frog is a
montane species, known from upland areas along the central mountain chains
that run through southern Thailand and Peninsular Malaysia. It may be
encountered at the margin of clear, forest streams, either on the forest
floor, on sandbanks or perched on low vegetation.
This upland frog was formerly confused with other members of the family
Ranidae, but was described as a new species by Leong & Lim in 2003.
This is a moderately stocky frog, with a rounded snout, large eyes and
relatively slender legs. Its skin bears numerous raised granules, and a
dorso-lateral ridge which demarcates the upper surface from the flanks. Its
fingers and toes have limited webbing.
Its ground colour is typically dark orange brown, and the ridges and
tubercles are light orange brown. Its belly is pale and mottled.
The tadpoles are large, and can reach 6.4 cm in total length: the head and
body is elongate and elliptical, and pale brown in colour, and the tail is
long, pointed and patterned with dark blotches.
In southern Thailand this species is known from Hala Bala, Narathiwat
Province, and in Peninsular Malaysia is known from Maxwell Hill, Cameron
Highlands, Fraser's Hill and Genting Highlands.
Fig 1 : Adult specimen from lower montane forest (elevation = 1100 metres)
at Fraser's Hill, Peninsular Malaysia. Photo thanks to Noel Thomas.
Fig 2 : Tadpole from a clear, shaded, forest stream at Fraser's Hill,
Peninsular Malaysia. Photo thanks to Law Ing Sind.
References :
Leong, T. M., & Lim, B. L. (2003). A
new species of Rana (Amphibia: Anura: Ranidae) from the highlands of
the Malay Peninsula, with diagnostic larval descriptions. Raffles Bulletin
of Zoology, 51(1), 115-122.
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