Observation on rapid physiological color change in Giant tree frog Rhacophorus smaragdinus (Blyth, 1852) from Namdapha Tiger Reserve, Arunachal Pradesh, India

By

Ck, Deepak
Payra, Arajush
Tripathy, Basudev
Chandra, Kailash

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2019-5-21

Original Publication

Subterranean Biology

Volume

32

Pages

95--99

Subjects

anuran behavior , Camouflage , physiological stress , Pseudophilautus , Raorchestes , reversible color change , Rhacophoridae , Rhacophorus maximus , Theloderma , thermoregulation

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Sofia, Bulgaria Pensoft Publishers

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/herpetozoa.32.e36023

 

Abstract

Many poikilotherms have the ability to change body color for homeostatic regulation, conspecific communication or predator deterrence. Physiological color change is a rapid, reversible mode of color change regulated by neuromuscular or neuroendocrine system and has been observed in several anuran species. Here we report the occurrence of physiological color change in the tree frog Rhacophorussmaragdinus (Blyth, 1852) (Amphibia, Anura, Rhacophoridae) for the first time from Namdapha Tiger Reserve, Arunachal Pradesh, India. Probable proximate causes of the behavior are discussed along with an overview of physiological color change in species of the family Rhacophoridae and nature of color change observed.