Volume 2, Issue 3 (9-2020)                   JAD 2020, 2(3): 11-15 | Back to browse issues page


XML Print


Download citation:
BibTeX | RIS | EndNote | Medlars | ProCite | Reference Manager | RefWorks
Send citation to:

Patel H, Vyas R. Corrections on recent herpetofaunal species records from Gujarat State, western India. JAD 2020; 2 (3) :11-15
URL: http://jad.lu.ac.ir/article-1-98-en.html
1- Department of Biosciences, Veer Narmad South Gujarat University, Surat 395007, Gujarat, India , harshilpatel121@gmail.com
2- Shashwat Apartment, 23 Anandnagar Society, BPC Road, Alkapuri, Vadodara 390007, Gujarat, India
Abstract:   (10452 Views)
We re-address the findings of recent publications on herpetofaunal diversity of certain urban areas of Gujarat, India, in which, authors have claimed to report nine frogs and two lizard species for the first time from the State, without any morphological data and/or voucher specimens. We present our critique and comments, with the known distributional ranges of these species and on these erroneous records. We also advocate removal of such species from the faunal list of Gujarat until confirmed reports, based on correctly identified vouchers, are presented. We recommend here that identification of a species should be done following standard protocols and by facilitating the deposition of voucher specimen/s in responsible public repositories for studies involving taxonomy, morphology and range extension.
Full-Text [PDF 1322 kb]   (2858 Downloads)    
Type of Study: Short Communication | Subject: Species Diversity
Received: 2020/08/30 | Accepted: 2020/10/10 | Published: 2020/10/20

References
1. Agarwal, I., Khandekar, A., Ramakrishnan, U., Vyas, R. and Giri, V. B. (2018). Two new species of the Ophisops microlepis (Squamata: Lacertidae) complex from northwestern India with a key to Indian Ophisops. Journal of Natural History, 52 (13–16): 819–847. https://doi.org/10.1080/00222933.2018.1436203 [DOI]
2. Ardesana, R., Jhala, R. and Bharad, M. (2018). A preliminary report on reptiles of Khirasara Vidi, Rajkot District, Gujarat, India. Reptile Rap #180. In: Zoo’s Print, 33 (2): 17–22.
3. Ardesana, R., Trivedi, B. and Bharad, M. (2017). Rescue note on the Indian rock python, Python molurus (Linnaeus, 1758) around Rajkot city, Gujarat, India. Cobra, 11 (1): 22–26.
4. Bortolus, A. (2008). Error cascades in the biological sciences: the unwanted consequences of using bad taxonomy in ecology. AMBIO: A Journal of the Human Environment, 37 (2): 114–118.
5. Brown, S. B. (1992). India’s herpetofauna: a plea for standardized distributional records. Hamadryad, 17: 53–55.
6. Ceríaco, L. M. P., Gutiérrez, E. E. and Dubois, A. (2016). Photography-based taxonomy is inadequate, unnecessary, and potentially harmful for biological sciences. Zootaxa, 4196 (3): 435–445. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4196.3.9 [DOI]
7. Dahanukar, N., Sulakhe, S. and Padhye, A. (2017). Identity of Sphaerotheca pluvialis (Jerdon, 1853) and other available names among the burrowing frogs (Anura: Dicroglossidae) of South Asia. Journal of Threatened Taxa, 9 (6): 10269–10285. https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.3358.9.6.10269-10285 [DOI]
8. Daniels, R. J. R. (1999). An action plan for amphibian research and conservation in India. Cobra, 35 and 36: 13–17.
9. Das, I., Whitaker, R. and Andrews, H. V. (1996). Publish and perish! Hamadryad, 21: 1–3.
10. Dubois, A. (2003). The relationships between taxonomy and conservation biology in the century of extinctions. Comptes Rendus Biologies, 326: S9–S21. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1631-0691(03)00022-2 [DOI]
11. Frost, D. R. (2020). Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0. American Museum of Natural History, New York, USA. www.research.amnh.org/herpetology/amphibia/index.html (Accessed 1 August 2020).
12. Garg, S. and Biju, S. D. (2017). Description of four new species of burrowing frogs in the Fejervarya rufescens complex (Dicroglossidae) with notes on morphological affinities of Fejervarya species in the Western Ghats. Zootaxa, 4277 (4): 451–490. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4277.4.1 [DOI]
13. Hołyński, R. B. (2017). Taxonomy: should it remain a serious branch of science or be transformed into a formal game? Procrustomachia, 2 (2): 11–13. https://doi.org/10.1579/0044-7447(2008)37[114:ecitbs]2.0.co;2 [DOI]
14. Jani, S. P. (2002). Management Plan Khijadiya Bird Sanctuary 2002–2011. Forest Department Gujarat State, Gandhinagar. 114 pp.
15. Khandla, Y. and Trivedi, V. (2018). A preliminary survey on anurans of Jamnagar City and vicinity areas, Gujarat, India. International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR), 7 (8): 892–898.
16. Khandla, Y., Parmar, H. and Trivedi, V. (2019). An inventory of herpetofaunal diversity in urban ecosystem, Western India. Uttar Pradesh Journal of Zoology, 40 (4): 154–168.
17. Kumar, G. C., Srinivasulu, C. and Prasad, K. K. (2017). New locality records of Leschenault’s snake eye, Ophisops leschenaultii (Sauria: Lacertidae) (Milne-Edwards, 1829) from Telangana State, with notes on the species’ natural history. IRCF Reptiles and Amphibians: Conservation and Natural History, 24 (1): 51–54.
18. Mace, G. M. (2004). The role of taxonomy in species conservation. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B, 359 (1444): 711–719. https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2003.1454 [DOI]
19. Ohler, A., Deuti, K., Grosjean, S., Paul, S., Ayyaswamy, A. K., Ahmed, M. F. and Dutta, S. K. (2009). Small-sized dicroglossids from India, with the description of a new species from West Bengal, India. Zootaxa, 2209 (1): 43–56. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.2209.1.3 [DOI]
20. Padhye, A., Dahanukar, N., Sulakhe, S., Dandekar, N., Limaye, S. and Jamdade, K. (2017). Sphaerotheca pashchima, a new species of burrowing frog (Anura: Dicroglossidae) from western India. Journal of Threatened Taxa, 9 (6): 10286–10296. https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.2877.9.6.10286-10296 [DOI]
21. Parmar, H. and Trivedi, V. (2017). Reptilian fauna of monsoon in urban ecosystem. UGC-CAS National Conference on Biodiversity and Bio-resource Utilization. Saurashtra University, Rajkot, India. Poster. https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.25843.07205 [DOI]
22. Parmar, H. and Trivedi, V. (2018). Preliminary survey of amphibians and reptiles of Rajkot city and vicinity areas, Gujarat. International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR), 7 (9): 20–30.
23. Patel, H., Vyas, R., Dudhatra, B., Naik, V., Chavda, A., Chauhan, D., Vaghashiya, A., Vagadiya, R. and Vaghashiya, P. (2019). Preliminary report on Herpetofauna of Mount Girnar, Gujarat, India. Journal of Animal Diversity, 1 (2): 9–35. http://dx.doi.org/10.29252/JAD.2019.1.2.2 [DOI]
24. Patel, H., Vyas, R., Naik, V., Dudhatra, B. and Tank, S. K. (2018). Herpetofauna of the Northern Western Ghats of Gujarat, India. Zoology and Ecology, 28 (3): 213–223. https://doi.org/10.1080/21658005.2018.1499237 [DOI]
25. Rapini, A. (2004). Modernizando a taxonomia. Biota Neotropica, 4 (1): 1–4. https://doi.org/10.1590/S1676-06032004000100002 [DOI]
26. Raposo, M. A., Stopiglia, R., Brito, G. R. R., Bockmann, F. A., Kirwan, G. M., Gayon, J. and Dubois, A. (2017). What really hampers taxonomy and conservation? A riposte to Garnett and Christidis (2017). Zootaxa, 4317 (1): 179–184. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4317.1.10 [DOI]
27. Sabnis, S. D. and Amin, J. V. (1992). Eco-environmental studies of Sardar Sarovar Environs. M.S. University, Baroda. 388 pp.
28. Schleich, H. H. and Kästle, W. (2002). Amphibians and Reptiles of Nepal: Biology, Systematics, Field Guide. A.R.G. Gantner Verlag, Ruggell. 1201 pp.
29. Smith, M. A. (1935). The Fauna of British India, including Ceylon and Burma. Reptilia and Amphibia. Volume II. Sauria. Taylor and Francis, London. 441 pp.
30. Uetz, P., Freed, P. and Hošek, J. (2020). The Reptile Database. www.reptile-database.org (Accessed 1 August 2020).
31. Vijaykumar, V. (1997). Evaluation of restocked mugger crocodiles and its implication in long-term conservation and management of the species in Gujarat, India. Gujarat Institute of Desert Ecology, Bhuj-Kachh, Gujarat. 65 pp.
32. Vyas, R. (1986). Extension of the range of Dumeril’s black headed snake (Sibynophis subpunctatus). Hamadryad, 11 (3): 24.
33. Vyas, R. (2009). Notes on the distribution and natural history of an endemic skink from India: Lygosoma lineata (Gray, 1839). Sauria, 31 (1): 45–50.
34. Vyas, R. (2012). Frogs of Shoolpaneswr Wildlife Sanctuary, Gujarat, India. FrogLog, 101: 54–56.

Add your comments about this article : Your username or Email:
CAPTCHA

Send email to the article author


Rights and permissions
Creative Commons License This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

  | Journal of Animal Diversity

Designed & Developed by : Yektaweb