Wildlifeof India
Ghatixalus asterops
Shrub Frogs & Tree Frogs
Photo: (c) Srinivasan Kasinathan, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC-BY (May be cropped or resized)
Ghatixalus asterops
Basic stats
Habitat
Rocky, briskly flowing streams (tadpoles); terrestrial adults
Range
Endemic to the Western Ghats: Palani Hills and south of the Palghat Gap
Size
Males 38.8-44.8mm; one female 58.1mm
Ghatixalus asterops, the Ghat tree frog or starry-eyed Ghat tree frog, is endemic to India's Western Ghats, specifically the Palani Hills and south of the Palghat Gap. Adult males measure 38.8-44.8 mm in snout-vent length and a single adult female measured 58.1 mm. Colour varies between individuals: the back can be dark or light grey with brown marks, or yellow-brown with red marks (Wikipedia, general species account).
Unlike other Rhacophoridae, this frog is terrestrial rather than arboreal. The female makes a foam nest on rocks in the stream, on the stream sides or sometimes on tree trunks near the stream, and the eggs hatch into tadpoles that live in rocky streams with briskly flowing water (Wikipedia, general species account).
Quick answers
- What habitat does the Ghatixalus asterops live in?
- Rocky, briskly flowing streams (tadpoles); terrestrial adults
- Where is the Ghatixalus asterops found?
- Endemic to the Western Ghats: Palani Hills and south of the Palghat Gap
- How big is the Ghatixalus asterops?
- Males 38.8-44.8mm; one female 58.1mm