Ranixalidae is a family of frogs commonly known as the leaping frogs[1][2] or Indian frogs.[3] They are endemic to central and southern India, specifically in the Western Ghat mountain range.[1][2][3] This mountain range encompasses the Indian states of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu.[4] Ranixalidae can be found in Maharashtra,[5] Goa,[6] Karnataka, and Kerala.[7] There is a large concentration of them in Goa and Maharashtra, however there are still considerable amounts of species within the southern Indian states of Karnataka and Kerala, where there are other frogs within the Indirana genus.[8]
Scientists say the two groups of frogs in Ranixalidae, Indirana and Walkerana, split around 58.4 million years ago.[9]
Genera
There are two genera[1][3] with a total 18 species:[1]
^ abcdeFrost, Darrel R. (2020). "Ranixalidae Dubois, 1987". Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0. American Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
^ abVitt, Laurie J. & Caldwell, Janalee P. (2014). Herpetology: An Introductory Biology of Amphibians and Reptiles (4th ed.). Academic Press. p. 503.
^ abcd"Ranixalidae". AmphibiaWeb. University of California, Berkeley. 2020. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
^Centre, UNESCO World Heritage. "Western Ghats". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved 2024-03-13.