Morphometry and habitat selection of the Mountain Hourglass Treefrog [<em>Taruga eques</em> (Günther, 1858)] (Amphibia, Rhacophoridae) in the Horton Plains National Park, Sri Lanka

Abstract

Many amphibian species in Sri Lanka have become endangered with extinction. The endemic, Montane Hourglass Tree Frog (<em>Taruga eques</em>) is an endangered species that is restricted to the central hills in Sri Lanka, elevations above 1,270 m. This article discusses the population status, habitat utilization, foam nest construction, and threats to this species within the Horton Plains National Park, Sri Lanka. The study on which this article was carried out in five locations for one week per month over a period of five months. Randomly placed transects were used in the study. The density of <em>Taruga eques </em>was recorded as 5 individuals/100km2 within the park. The abundance of males was significantly higher than females indicating a male-biased pattern (M: F= 9:1). Herbs were the preferred microhabitat (33.6 %), whereas the most frequently recorded behavior was perching (92.1%). Nest construction occurred between herbs in 56.5% of cases. Hence, the entire life cycle of the species is dependent on the conditions of these microhabitats. Females possessed color patterns distinct from males, which may be useful in separating the sexes in visual observations. They had different color patterns which changed from individual to individual, and the hourglass mark was not prominent. Several putative threats were noted during the survey including road kills, over visitation, parasite attacks, predator pressure, and anthropogenic pressure. These findings provide pragmatic insights relevant to the conservation of <em>Taruga eques </em>in Sri Lanka.