紫蛙

紫蛙
	一只紫蛙
保护状况
	; 濒危（IUCN 3.1）
科学分类
界：	动物界 Animalia
门：	脊索动物门 Chordata
纲：	两栖纲 Amphibia
目：	无尾目 Anura
科：	紫蛙科 Nasikabatrachidae
属：	紫蛙属 Nasikabatrachus
种：	紫蛙 N. sahyadrensis
双名法
	Nasikabatrachus sahyadrensis; Biju & Bossuyt, 2003
	紫蛙的分布地区以橙色标出

紫蛙（学名：Nasikabatrachus sahyadrensis），亦称西高止山鼻蛙，是紫蛙属中被发现的第一种蛙，生活在印度西高止山脉地区。虽然紫蛙是在2003年10月正式描述的，^[2]但其蝌蚪在1918年就已发现、命名。^[3]这种蛙几乎一年到头都待在地底。

描述

一只鸣叫的雄蛙

2003年，该物种的正模标本由S·D·比朱（S.D. Biju）和布鲁塞尔自由大学的佛郎机·博叙（Franky Bossuyt）发现于喀拉拉邦的伊都基县。不过在此之前当地人就知道有这种生物的存在，且确实有出版过相关文献、收藏有其标本。^[4]

紫蛙的身体肥壮，四肢以无尾目生物的典型方式张开。与其他的大多数蛙相比，紫蛙的头部较小，鼻部较尖。成年体呈紫灰色，雄性的长度只有雌性的三分之一。^[5]其正模标本由鼻部至尾部的长度为7厘米（2.8英寸），其幼年体在1917年由尼尔森·安南戴尔和C·R·那拉扬·拉奥描述，他们发现这种蝌蚪有用以在激流中固定身形的口吸盘。^[3]^[6]因为与紫蛙幼体一起生活的某些鱼类也有同样的吸盘，这种现象被认为属于趋同演化。^[5]^[7]

分布

早期科学家认为这种蛙只分布于西高止山脉的巴尔卡德山口，后来有证据显示在山口的北部也有紫蛙存在。^[8]^[9]实际上这种蛙已被认为广泛分布于西高止由南至北的各个地区。^[5]

生态

紫蛙常年生活在地底，只在雨季才会出现在地面活动约两周。因此生物学家们也一直都没有注意到它们。繁殖季节主要在雨季来临之前的五月，雄性的其洞穴中鸣叫求偶，雌性到来之后与之抱合。它们会将卵产在溪流里的岩石缝隙中，一次的产卵量为3000枚左右。蝌蚪在100天后变成蛙。^[5]

虽然也有一些别的蛙类会打地穴并在地下生活，但它们大多数会在地表觅食。然而紫蛙连觅食都是在地底进行的，其食物主要是白蚁。^[10]

参考文献

^ S.D. Biju. Nasikabatrachus sahyadrensis. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2004. [25 May 2013].
^ Biju, S. D.; Bossuyt, F. New frog family from India reveals an ancient biogeographical link with the Seychelles. Nature. 2003, (425): 711–714. doi:10.1038/nature02019.
^ ^3.0 ^3.1 Annandale, N. & Rao, C.R.N. Indian tadpoles. Proceedings of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. 1917, 13: 185–186.
^ Das, Indraneil. Some forgotten descriptions of Nasikabatrachus (Anura - Sooglossidae). Herpetological Review. 2007, 38: 291–292.
^ ^5.0 ^5.1 ^5.2 ^5.3 Zachariah, A; RK Abraham; S. Das; KC Jayan & R Altig. A detailed account of the reproductive strategy and developmental stages of Nasikabatrachus sahyadrensis (Anura: Nasikabatrachidae), the only extant member of an archaic frog lineage. Zootaxa. 2012, 3510: 53–64.
^ Annandale, N. Some undescribed tadpoles from the hills of southern India. Records of the Indian Museum. 1918, 15: 17–23.
^ Annandale, N. & Hora, S.L. Parallel evolution in the fish and tadpoles of mountains torrents. Records of the Indian Museum. 1922, 24: 505–510.
^ Das, K. S. Anoop 2006 Record of Nasikabatrachus from the Northern Western Ghats. Zoos' Print Journal 21(9):2410 PDF （页面存档备份，存于互联网档案馆）
^ Radhakrishnan, C; K.C. Gopi and K.P. Dinesh. Zoogeography of Nasikabatrachus sahyadrensis Biju and Bossuyt (Amphibia: Anura; Nasikabatrachidae) in the Western Ghats, India. Records of the Zoological Survey of India. 2007, 107: 115–121.
^ C. Radhakrishnan, K. C. Gopi and Muhamed Jafer Palot (2007) Extension of range of distribution of Nasikabatrachus sahyadrensis Biju & Bossuyt (Amphibia: Anura: Nasikabatrachidae) along Western Ghats, with some insights into its bionomics. Current Science, 92(2):213-216 PDF （页面存档备份，存于互联网档案馆）

外部链接

[IUCN-1] S.D. Biju. Nasikabatrachus sahyadrensis. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2004. [25 May 2013].

[2] Biju, S. D.; Bossuyt, F. New frog family from India reveals an ancient biogeographical link with the Seychelles. Nature. 2003, (425): 711–714. doi:10.1038/nature02019.

[Annandale,_N._&_Rao,_C.R.N._1917_185–186-3] 3.0 ^3.1 Annandale, N. & Rao, C.R.N. Indian tadpoles. Proceedings of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. 1917, 13: 185–186.

[4] Das, Indraneil. Some forgotten descriptions of Nasikabatrachus (Anura - Sooglossidae). Herpetological Review. 2007, 38: 291–292.

[life-5] 5.0 ^5.1 ^5.2 ^5.3 Zachariah, A; RK Abraham; S. Das; KC Jayan & R Altig. A detailed account of the reproductive strategy and developmental stages of Nasikabatrachus sahyadrensis (Anura: Nasikabatrachidae), the only extant member of an archaic frog lineage. Zootaxa. 2012, 3510: 53–64.

[6] Annandale, N. Some undescribed tadpoles from the hills of southern India. Records of the Indian Museum. 1918, 15: 17–23.

[7] Annandale, N. & Hora, S.L. Parallel evolution in the fish and tadpoles of mountains torrents. Records of the Indian Museum. 1922, 24: 505–510.

[8] Das, K. S. Anoop 2006 Record of Nasikabatrachus from the Northern Western Ghats. Zoos' Print Journal 21(9):2410 PDF （页面存档备份，存于互联网档案馆）

[9] Radhakrishnan, C; K.C. Gopi and K.P. Dinesh. Zoogeography of Nasikabatrachus sahyadrensis Biju and Bossuyt (Amphibia: Anura; Nasikabatrachidae) in the Western Ghats, India. Records of the Zoological Survey of India. 2007, 107: 115–121.

[10] C. Radhakrishnan, K. C. Gopi and Muhamed Jafer Palot (2007) Extension of range of distribution of Nasikabatrachus sahyadrensis Biju & Bossuyt (Amphibia: Anura: Nasikabatrachidae) along Western Ghats, with some insights into its bionomics. Current Science, 92(2):213-216 PDF （页面存档备份，存于互联网档案馆）

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