Rao's Intermediate Golden-backed Frog

About the Rao's Intermediate Golden-backed Frog

Indosylvirana intermedia, or Rao's intermediate golden-backed frog, is a species of ranid frog endemic to southern India. The species was originally described as Rana (Hylorana) intermedius by Rao in 1937, from a specimen discovered in Sakleshpur, Kingdom of Mysore (now in Karnataka), in the Western Ghats mountain range. Its specific epithet refers to it being intermediate between Rana gracilis (now Hydrophylax gracilis) and Rana temporalis (now Indosylvirana temporalis), both also reported in this locality.

It was later assigned to the separate genus Hylarana, although some authors kept the latter as a subgroup of Rana, while considering the species to be a synonym of R. temporalis. A 2014 study confirmed the genetic distinctiveness of the species, while showing that the presumed H. temporalis specimens of the Western Ghats were misidentified H. aurantiaca, which was recovered as the frog's closest relative. A subsequent reclassification led to most Hylarana species being moved to new genera. Notably, H. intermedia was moved to the genus Indosylvirana, which represents one of the three South Asian radiations of the Hylarana complex. Nonetheless, some publications still... Wikipedia →