evolutionary ecology and biogeography
evolutionary ecology and biogeography
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  • Home
  • Research
    • Diversity and Distribution >
      • Historical biogeography
      • Macroecology
      • New Species
    • Community ecology
    • Marine research
    • Marine turtle biology
  • People
    • Students >
      • PhD (IISc)
      • IISc (Other)
      • PhD (Affiliates)
      • Masters etc
    • Researchers >
      • Post docs
      • Herpetophiles
      • Marine crew
      • The select few
    • The Bosses >
      • The Lab Bosses
      • Flagship Captains
      • The CC Force
  • Publications
    • Research papers >
      • Community ecology and biogeography
      • Marine turtle biology and conservation
      • Conservation and Development
      • Marine biology and conservation
    • Books
    • Popular articles
    • Manuals & field guides
    • Reports
  • Gallery
    • Models >
      • Frogs
      • Snakes
    • Habitat
  • Journals
  • About
  • Contact

SPECIES DESCRIPTIONS

Species delimitation

We follow a multi-criteria approach to delimitation incorporating phylogenetic trees, genetic distance, geography and morphology. We employ a comprehensive field sampling approach taking into account the heterogeneity of the landscape which allows us to identify sister lineages with confidence.  

In the last few years, we have carried out a systematic revision of the bush frogs of the Western Ghats (Raorchestes), Calotes in peninsular India (with two new genera and species), and several other new species of frogs. Most exciting, we have discovered a monotypic lineage of vine snake (Proahaetulla antiqua) and an ancient monotypic frog genus (Astrobatrachus kurichiyana), which has been assigned to a new separate sub-family within Nyctibatrachidae). 
The frog was named Astrobatrachus to highlight the blue starry spots on the side of the body and kurichiyana to honour members of the ‘Kurichiya' tribal community of Waynaad. 

Several major revisions are in the pipeline, including of king cobras, vine snakes, pit vipers as well as more lizard and frog genera.

Taxonomic papers

  • Dinesh, K.P., S.P. Vijayakumar, V. Ramesh, A. Jayarajan, S.R. Chandra Mouli & K. Shanker (2020) A new lineage of Walkerana (Anura: Ranixalidae) from the Western Ghats of Peninsular India. Zootaxa. 
  • Mallik, A.K., A.N. Srikanthan, S.R. Ganesh, S.P. Pal, S.P. Vijayakumar and K. Shanker (2019) A deeply divergent new lineage of vine snake from the southern Western Ghats of Peninsular India. PLOS One. 
  • Vijayakumar, S.P., R. A. Pyron, K.P. Dinesh, V.R. Torsekar, A.V. Srikanthan, P. Swamy, E.L. Stanley, D.C. Blackburn and K. Shanker (2019) A new, ancient, microendemic lineage of frog (Astrobatrachidae fam. nov., Astrobatrachus kurichiyana gen et. sp. nov.) from the Western Ghats of Peninsular India. PeerJ. 
  • Pal, S., S.P. Vijayakumar, K. Shanker, A. Jayarajan and V. Deepak  (2018) A systematic revision of Calotes Cuvier, 1817 (Squamata: Agamidae from the Western Ghats adds two genera and reveals two new species. Zootaxa 4482(3): 401-450. 
  • Dinesh, K.P., S.P. Vijayakumar, B.H. Channakeshavamurthy, V.R. Torsekar, N.U. Kulkarni & K. Shanker (2015) Systematic status of Fejervarya (Amphibia, Anura, Dicroglossidae) from South and SE Asia with the description of a new species from the Western Ghats of Peninsular India. Zootaxa.
  • ​Vijayakumar, S.P., K.P. Dinesh, M.V. Prabhu & K. Shanker (2014)  Lineage delimitation and description of nine new species of bush frogs (Anura: Raorchestes, Rhacophoridae) from the Western Ghats Escarpment. Zootaxa 3893 (4): 451–488.​

​Other papers with contributions from the lab

  • Ganesh, S.R and A.N. Srikanthan (2020) A new species of shieldtail snake (Reptilia: Squamata: Uropeltidae) from Kolli Hill complex, southern Eastern Ghats, peninsular India. Journal of Threatened Taxa 12: 15436-15442.
  • Ganesh, S.R, A.N. Srikanthan, S.R. Chandramouli and G. Vogel (2020) Taxonomic revision of the Boiga ceylonensis group (Serpentes: Colubridae): reexamination of type specimens, redefinition of nominate taxa and an updated key. Zootaxa 4779 (3): 301–332.
  • Srikanthan, A.N., G.C. Kumar, A.J. Urs & S.R. Ganesh (2018) Appearances are deceptive: molecular phylogeny recovers the Scaly Gecko Hemidactylus scabriceps (Reptilia: Squamata: Gekkonidae) as a member of a scansorial and rupicolous clade. Journal of Threatened Taxa 10: 12147-12162.
  • Srikanthan, A.N., P. Swamy, A.V. Mohan and S. Pal (2018) A distinct new species of riparian rock-dwelling gecko (genus: Hemidactylus) from the southern Western Ghats. Zootaxa 4434 (1): 141–157.
  • Page, N.V. & S. Surveswaran (2014) Friesodielsia sahyadrica (Annonaceae), a peculiar new species from the Western Ghats, India. Phytotaxa 158 (3): 275-282.


New species

Astrobatrachus kurichiyana

Proahaetulla antiqua

Picture
SP Vijayakumar
Picture
Saunak Pal

Raorchestes

Raorchestes indigo
Picture
SP Vijayakumar
Raorchestes aurues
Picture
SP Vijayakumar
Raorchestes leucolatus
Picture
SP Vijayakumar
Raorchestes primarrumpfi
Picture
SP Vijayakumar
Raorchestes emeraldi
Picture
SP Vijayakumar
Raorchestes echinatus
Picture
SP Vijayakumar
Raorchestes flaviocularis
Picture
SP Vijayakumar
Raorchestes archeos
Picture
SP Vijayakumar
Raorchestes blandus
Picture
SP Vijayakumar

Fejervarya

Fejervarya gomantaki
Picture
KP Dinesh
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