| Mediterranean painted frog | |
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Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Amphibia |
| Order: | Anura |
| Family: | Alytidae |
| Genus: | Discoglossus |
| Species: | D. pictus |
| Binomial name | |
| Discoglossus pictus Otth, 1837 | |
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| Green, D. p. pictus; red, D. p. auritus (native); orange, D.p. auritus (introduced) | |
Discoglossus pictus, the Mediterranean painted frog or simply painted frog, is a species of frog in the family Alytidae (formerly Discoglossidae). [3]
Discoglossus pictus is found Mediterranean Africa in northeast Morocco, northern Algeria, and Tunisia, in the islands of Sicily (Italy) and Malta; introduced populations exist in northeastern Spain and southwestern France. [3] Discoglossus scovazzi from Morocco was previously considered a subspecies of D. pictus. Initially, only the former was thought to occur in Morocco, [1] but later research has shown that also D. pictus is present there. [3]
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As the common name implies, these frogs can have colorful markings. Three pattern variations occur in this species - almost uniformly colored animals, animals with large, dark spots with bright edges, and animals with two dark brown longitudinal bands, one bright band along the back, and two bright bands along the sides. The belly is whitish. The body is stout with a flat head that is wider than it is long. The dorsal glands are arranged in longitudinal patterns along the back, or can be absent. The pupils are shaped like an upside-down droplet. Mating in North Morocco takes place from January to early November. Copulation, in which the male clasps the female in the lumbar region, lasts about two hours. Copulation in the Spanish specimens lasts only 35 seconds to 2 minutes. Females lay 500 to 1000 eggs in one night. The females copulate with various males and after each copulation, a small clump of about 20 to 50 eggs is laid. The ovum diameter is usually 1.0 to 1.5 mm; the gelatinous envelope is 3–7 mm. The eggs have no common envelope and form a loose mass on the water surface or may sink to the bottom. Eggs usually hatch in 2–6 days. Upon hatching, tadpoles are about 3 mm in length. In 1–3 months, they grow to about 33 mm and metamorphose into froglets of 10 mm. In Sicily, many populations are associated with man-made water bodies such as stone-sided cisterns, irrigation pipes, and canals in cultivated areas.
They appear to be endangered by the intensification of agriculture, but populations that live along rivers, seasonal ponds, and swamps seem to be less endangered. Populations from northeast of the Iberian Peninsula could be a threat to some native species of frogs, especially those with in they both occur in the same aquatic habitats. [4] In North Africa, it is a very abundant species, especially in the subhumid northern regions, but its presence reaches pre-Saharan oases. [5] Populations on Malta are said to be threatened by a reduction of the ground-water levels. [1] It was introduced several times on the island of Comino, but the introduced Levant water frog (Pelophylax bedriagae) on the Maltese archipelago is a direct competitor of this species. To effectively protect this species, more data are needed about its ecology and biology. D. pictus seems to be associated with man-made water bodies, at least for part of its distribution.
The geography of Malta is dominated by water. Malta is an archipelago of coralline limestone, located in Europe, in the Mediterranean Sea, 81 kilometres south of Sicily, Italy, and nearly 300 km north (Libya) and northeast (Tunisia) of Africa. Although Malta is situated in Southern Europe, it is located farther south than Tunis, capital of Tunisia, Algiers, capital of Algeria, Tangier in Morocco and also Aleppo in Syria, and Mosul in Iraq in the Middle East. Only the three largest islands – Malta, Gozo and Comino – are inhabited. Other (uninhabited) islands are: Cominotto, Filfla and the St.Paul's Islands. The country is approximately 316 km2 in area. Numerous bays along the indented coastline of the islands provide harbours. The landscape of the islands is characterised by high hills with terraced fields. The highest point, at 253 metres, Ta' Zuta on mainland Malta. The capital is Valletta.
The Hula painted frog is a species of frog endemic to the Lake Hula marshes in northern Israel. It is the only living member of the genus Latonia, which is otherwise known from fossils from Europe spanning from the Oligocene through Pleistocene. The Hula painted frog was thought to be extinct as a result of habitat destruction during the 1950s until the species was rediscovered in 2011.
The Levant water frog, formerly belonging to the genus Rana, is a southern European species of frog. They are green to brown in color with dark blotches on their dorsal side. They are cousins of the aquatic frogs and live most of the time in the water. They are not poisonous and are quite large, especially the females. It has been introduced in some countries where it was not native, one of which is Malta. First kept as a pet, then recently during the 1990s, it was deliberately introduced to a number of fresh water rock pools in Gozo, where in one it sustains a large population. Though a prolific and invasive species, it is restricted to constant fresh water supply, so it cannot spread naturally on its own on arid Mediterranean islands.
Riserva naturale orientata Saline di Trapani e Paceco is an Italian nature reserve in the Province of Trapani between the municipalities of Trapani and Paceco on the west coast of Sicily. It was founded in 1995 and in the framework of the Ramsar Convention entrusted to WWF Italy. Its area of 987 hectares consists of two zones. Besides Mediterranean flora and fauna, there is a saline work museum in an old salt mill.
The Iberian painted frog is a species of frog in the family Alytidae. It is found in Portugal and Spain, where its natural habitats are temperate forests, temperate shrubland, Mediterranean-type shrubby vegetation, rivers, intermittent rivers, swamps, freshwater marshes, intermittent freshwater marshes, sandy shores, arable land, and grassland. It is threatened by habitat loss.
The Spanish painted frog, in Spanish sapillo pintojo meridional, is a species of frog in the family Alytidae. It is endemic to Spain.
The Corsican painted frog is a species of frogs in the family Alytidae.
The Tyrrhenian painted frog is a species of frog in the family Alytidae.
Discoglossus scovazzi, the Moroccan painted frog, in French discoglosse peint or discoglosse à ventre blanc, is a species of frog in the family Alytidae. It is found in Morocco and the Spanish North African enclaves Ceuta and Melilla.
The arum lily reed frog, Horstock's arum-frog, arum lily frog, or Horstock's reed frog is a species of frog in the family Hyperoliidae. It is endemic to South Africa.
The Italian pool frog is a species of frog in the family Ranidae. Found on the mainland of Italy and the Mediterranean islands of Sicily, Elba, Corsica and Sardinia, its natural habitats are rivers, swamps, freshwater lakes and freshwater marshes. It is not considered threatened by the IUCN.
Bedriaga's rock lizard is a species of lizard in the family Lacertidae. The species is monotypic within the genus Archaeolacerta. It is only found on the islands Corsica and Sardinia. The scientific name Lacerta bedriagae is also used. There are three recognized subspecies.
The filfola lizard or Maltese wall lizard is a species of lizard in the family Lacertidae. It is found in Italy and in the island group of Malta. Its natural habitats are Mediterranean-type shrubby vegetation, rocky areas, rocky shores, arable land, pastureland, and rural gardens.
The green whip snake or western whip snake is a species of snake in the family Colubridae.
The common chameleon or Mediterranean chameleon is a species of chameleon native to the Mediterranean Basin and parts surrounding the Red Sea. It is the only extant species of Chamaleonidae with a range that naturally extends into Europe.
Carl Adolf (Adolphe) Otth was a Swiss physician and naturalist. He was the brother of mycologist Gustav Heinrich Otth (1806-1874).
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