Duttaphrynus melanostictis Schneider 1799

Duttaphrynus melanostictis Figures 1 and 2 (a); Tables 2, S 1 specimens examined: CMDN-A 60 – 63, 97, 119 – 129, 151, 155, 172, 162. Distribution in the KTM Valley: Encountered in the periphery of Shivapuri-Nagarjun National Park, and Lalitpur. They have been previously reported from the southern part of KTM Valley (Aryal et al. 2013). Remarks: This species is common in disturbed and urban areas. At three sites we visited in the western part of the valley, this was the only amphibian or reptile species we encountered (Figures 1 and 2 (a)). We often found this species near areas with other human-commensals, but farther from the water. We also encountered this species on the eastern edge of Shivapuri-Nagarjun National Park. At this locality, we encountered larvae and one juvenile of this species syntopic with Megophrys zhangi larvae and adults. We used DNA barcoding to confirm the identity of the juvenile specimen (Table S2, phylogeny not shown). Measurements: Measurements are given in mm as the mean, followed by the range in parentheses (n = 3). SVL = 98.4 mm (64 – 145 mm), HL = 16.2 mm (12.7 – 20 mm), HW = 33.2 mm (25 – 20 mm), snout = 7.3 mm (5.5 – 8.2 mm), internarial = 5.8 mm (5.3 – 6.7 mm), eye = 4.4 mm (4.0 – 4.7 mm), tympanum = 5.0 mm (4.5 – 5.7 mm), antebrachium = 22.1 mm (16.1 – 30 mm), hand = 18.4 mm (14.1 – 20.8 mm), thigh = 23.7 mm (12.5 – 43 mm), shank = 28.6 mm (20.1 – 35 mm), foot = 48.8 mm (38.3 – 60.4 mm).
Published as part of O, Kyle A., Connell, Aryal, Prakash C., Sherchan, Adarsh M., Dhakal, Bimala, Chaudhary, Hemanta Kumari, Ranabhat, Rishi & Karmacharya, Dibesh, 2019, A herpetological survey of the Kathmandu Valleyı Nepalı and phylogenetic identification of Megophrys (Xenophrys) zhangi, pp. 1421-1437 in Journal of Natural History 53 (23) on page 1425, DOI: 10.1080/00222933.2019.1655106, http://zenodo.org/record/3670114
{"references":["Aryal PC, Kharel SC, Bhurtel BP, Paudel EN, Dhamala MK, Rijal B, Thapa A. 2013. An amphibian survey in Kathmandu Valley. Nepal. Biodiv. Cons. Efforts Nepal. 3: 1 - 3."]}