STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT AND METAMORPHOSIS OF TREE FROG POLYPEDATES LEUCOMYSTAX (AMPHIBIA, Rhacophoridae)

Abstract

Most anurans have complex life cycles involving egg fertilization, embryo and larval development in aquatic habitats. Detailed descriptions of the ontogeny of embryonic, larval metamorphic and post metamorphic frogs are important for understanding the general patterns of development of representative taxa and, by comparisons of different patterns for resolving questions about systematic relationships. For anurans, staging tables are a condensed way of describing ontogenetic changes. Appropriate staging of the larval period, is therefore, fundamental to various life history studies of amphibians suggested that complete tables of development are necessary for accurate comparison of developmental stages in different organisms. Hence, tables of normal stages of development have been worked out for a number of species by several workers. Findings of the present study indicate that under natural environment as well as in the laboratory condition, the development and metamorphosis of Polypedates leucomystax was completed in about 60 – 61 days. This tree frog was observed to be dependent on the ephemeral pools at the breeding sites to complete their life cycle. The duration of development and metamorphosis of this tree frog seems to be similar to the other species of tree frog.