Fig 1
Fig 2
Fig 3
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Family : RANIDAE
Species : Amolops gerutu
Size (snout to vent) :
Female up to 5.8 cm, Male up to 3.7 cm
The Tuberculated Torrent
Frog is so-named because of the abundant raised tubercles which cover all
dorsal surfaces of its skin (in contrast to Amolops larutensis which
has fewer tubercles).
The species appears to be mainly nocturnal, but by day may sometimes be
found clinging to the sides of wet boulders, ready to jump into the water if
disturbed.
The tadpoles have a
modified lower lip, which acts as a sucker, allowing them to cling to rocks
in the swiftest of river currents: Figure 3 is an example from a stream
flowing into Lake Kenyir, Terengganu, Peninsular Malaysia.
Amolops gerutu appears to be restricted to Peninsular Malaysia, in
localities east of the Titiwangsa Mountains (the 'main range') including
Kelantan, Terengganu and Pahang states. It was formerly considered to
be part of the Amolops larutensis
species complex (Chan, K. O. et al, 2018).
Figs 1 and 2 : Examples from Lake Kenyir, Peninsular Malaysia. Note the
abundant tubercles covering the back and upper surfaces of the limbs.
Fig 3 : Tadpole clinging to a
granite boulder in a fast flowing stream feeding into Lake Kenyir,
Terengganu, Peninsular
Malaysia.
References :
Chan, K. O., Abraham, R. K., Grismer, J. L., & Grismer, L. (2018).
Elevational size variation and two new species of torrent frogs from
Peninsular Malaysia (Anura: Ranidae: Amolops Cope). Zootaxa, 4434(2),
250-264.
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