INTOODUCnON 



An intensive search of the literature pertaining to Rana tigrina 

 and to other conrnercially exploited anurans of southeast Asia reveals a 

 paucity of published data on the biology of the species in question. 

 Those published studies pertaining to the biology of Rana tigrina con- 

 cern populations of northern and v^stern India in v^ich the environmen- 

 tal conditions are significantly divergent fran those of Bangladesh. 

 The systematics and biogeography of Rana tigrina are well documented. 



The data herein are the only significant biological information 

 extant on Rana tigrina from the Indian subcontinent. In view of the 

 tenporal restrictions within which the field studies were pursued, the 

 conclusions drawn are tentative. 



Rana tigrina is widely distributed through the subcontinent of 

 India and southeast Asia. Its populations are nost abundant in wet- 

 lands, natural and artificial, and are absent from, or unconmon in, for- 

 ested cireas. 



Rana tigrina is known to inhabit all districts of Bangladesh, 

 avoiding, as far as known, the immediate coastal areas. The greatest 

 population densities are in the Districts of Mymensingh and Sylhet. 

 The species is less frequently encountered, exclusive of the coastal 

 areas, in the Chittagong Hill Tracts. 



The current study is concerned with the status of the Bangladeshi 

 peculations as it pertains to size-cohorts, reproductive data and food 

 preferences . 



AMPHIBIAN FAUNA OF BANGLADESH 



Husain and Rahman (1978) reported eleven species from Bangladesh 

 ( Bufo mslanostichus , Kaloula pulchra , Microhyla ornata, M. rubra , Rana 

 cyanophlyctis , R. hexadactyla , R. limnocharis , R. tigrina , R. tytleri , 

 Rhacophorus leucorastix , Rh . macula tus ) . Although incompletely docu- 

 mented, the airphibian fauna of Bangladesh, when ccxtpared to those of ad- 

 jacent regions, is iirpoverished. Intensive field collecting may in- 

 crease the number of species within the national boundaries. The ab- 

 sence of significant physiogr^hic and phytogeographic diversity will 

 negate a significant faunistic increase. 



One species (R. tigrina ) and possibly two other species 

 (R. hexadactyla , R. limnocharis ) are of significant economic value. 

 Husain and Rahman (1978) noted, for the six-itonth period July 1975 to 

 January 1976, the foreign exchange earned by the export of frozen frog- 

 legs was Taka 6,474,434 (approximately U. S. $359,000) according to the 

 official statistics of the Bangladesh Ej?)ort Pratotion Board. 



