Kachin torrent frog

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Kachin torrent frog
Staurois afghanus.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Ranidae
Genus: Amolops
Species:
A. afghanus
Binomial name
Amolops afghanus
(Günther, 1858)
Synonyms [2]
List
  • Ixalus kakhienensis Anderson, 1879
  • Polypedates afghana Günther, 1858
  • Rana afghana (Günther, 1858)
  • Staurois afghanus (Günther, 1858)

Kachin torrent frog (Amolops afghanus) is a species of true frog native to Myanmar. [3]

Contents

Description

Kachin torrent frog is an obscure species and not much is known about it. However, from preserved specimens and written descriptions, it is known that it is a medium-sized, sometimes slender frog with a broad head. According to the original author, Albert Günther, the skin is smooth, [4] but observations from iNaturalist depict multiple individuals with small knobs on the dorsal side. Furthermore, they are dark green with a dark, mottled pattern on their dorsal side. They also have dark, mottled, or clear bands on their limbs, which vary by observation. The ventral side appears to be light. [5] The species shows clear sexual dimorphism in size. Females have an SVL of around 8 cm (3 in), while males have an SVL of around 5 cm (2 in). [3]

History and etymology

Kachin torrent frog was originally described briefly in 5 lines of text in 1858, where it was put in the genus Polypedates . The original author, Albert Günther, wrote that it was found in Afghanistan, and thus came the name. [4] In 1865, it was then transferred to the genus Amolops by Edward Drinker Cope and got the name Amolops afghanus, which is the current designation. In 1879, a new species was discovered and it was called Ixalus kakhienensis, but it was later discovered that it was the existing species Amolops afghanus. In 1882, it was transferred to the genus Rana , where it remained for around 58 years until it was transferred to the genus Staurois . [6] In 1966, the species was transferred for the last time by Robert F. Inger to the genus Amolops, and the species name was changed to afghanus once again. It belongs to the genus Amolops because of a certain trait in the tadpole[ which? ] that indicated that it was in reality a member of Amolops. [7]

The common name comes from the fact that specimens have been collected from Kachin, Myanmar. [8]

Related Research Articles

<i>Amolops</i> Genus of amphibians

Amolops is a genus of true frogs native mainly to eastern and south-eastern Asia. These frogs are closely related to such genera as Huia, Meristogenys, Odorrana, Pelophylax and Rana, but still form a distinct lineage among the core radiation of true frogs. They are commonly known as "torrent frogs" after their favorite habitat - small rapid-flowing mountain and hill streams - but this name is used for many similar-looking frogs regardless of whether they are loosely related.

<i>Meristogenys</i> Genus of amphibians

Meristogenys is a genus of true frogs from Borneo. Its tadpoles are adapted to fast-flowing mountain streams and easily recognizable by their divided upper lip with ribs on the outside.

Amolops jaunsari, also known as the Jaunsar stream frog or Jaunsar's torrent frog, is a species of frog endemic to India. It is only known from its type locality near Chakrata in Uttarakhand. It was described based on a single specimen collected in 1985 and has not been recorded ever since.

<i>Amolops marmoratus</i> Species of amphibian

Amolops marmoratus is a species of ranid frog found in Asia. Its common names include marbled sucker frog, marbled cascade frog, Pegu torrent frog, and many others. The taxonomic status of many populations formerly assigned to this species is uncertain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hose's frog</span> Species of amphibian

Hose's frog is a true frog species with a wide range in Southeast Asia. This species was named after zoologist Charles Hose.

<i>Leptopelis flavomaculatus</i> Species of amphibian

Leptopelis flavomaculatus is a species of frog in the family Arthroleptidae. It is found in the lowlands eastern and southern Africa, from Mozambique north of the Save River and Zimbabwe to Malawi, eastern Tanzania, and coastal Kenya. Its common names are yellow-spotted tree frog, brown-backed tree frog, brown forest treefrog, and Johnston's treefrog.

<i>Amolops cremnobatus</i> Species of amphibian

Amolops cremnobatus is a species of frogs in the family Ranidae. It is found in north-central Laos and Vietnam. Its range might extend into Thailand. The specific name cremnobatus is derived from Greek kremnobates, meaning "frequenter of steep places", and refers to the steep waterfall from which the type series were collected. Common name Lao sucker frog has been coined for it. Another common name is the Lao torrent frog and it has been suggested that it should change to Inger’s Lao torrent frog because new species have been described from Amolops cremnobatus and will therefore avoid confusion.

<i>Amolops spinapectoralis</i> Species of frog

Amolops spinapectoralis is a species of frog in the family Ranidae, the "true frogs". It is at present only known from a few locations in central Vietnam—that is, it is endemic to Vietnam—but it is likely to be found more widely in the Vietnamese Central Highlands as well as in the adjacent southeastern Laos and northeastern Cambodia. The specific name spinapectoralis is derived from Latin spina for "thorn" and pectoralis for "of the breast" and refers to the pectoral spines in adult males. Common name spinyback torrent frog has been coined for it.

Amolops mengyangensis is a species of frog in the family Ranidae. It is known with certainty only from its type locality, the eponymous Mengyang in Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, southern Yunnan province of China. However, if Amolops daorum is its junior synonym, distribution of Amolops mengyangensis would be considerably wider, including the vicinity of Sa Pa in northern Vietnam near the Chinese border, Hong Kong, and Houaphanh Province in eastern Laos, and presumably also including the intervening areas.

Meristogenys macrophthalmus is a species of frog in the family Ranidae. It is endemic to Sarawak in northern Borneo (Malaysia) and is only known from its type locality in the Bintulu District. The specific name macrophthalmus is derived from the Greek words macros (="large") and ophthalmos (="eye") and refers to the large eyes of this frog. Common names Matsui's Borneo frog, large-eyed torrent frog, and big-eyed torrent frog have been coined for it.

Meristogenys poecilus is a species of frog in the family Ranidae. It is endemic to Borneo and known from between central Sarawak (Malaysia) and central Kalimantan (Indonesia). The specific name poecilus is derived from the Greek poikolos, meaning "pied" or "blotched", in reference to diagnostic pattern on rear of the thigh. Common name Malaysian Borneo frog has been coined for this species.

Meristogenys whiteheadi is a species of frog in the family Ranidae. It is endemic to Borneo and found in both Indonesia (Kalimantan) and Malaysia. Meristogenys stigmachilus and Meristogenys stenocephalus, described as new species in 2011, were formerly included in this species. Owing to the difficulty of distinguishing these species under field conditions, the exact range of this species is uncertain. Its common name is Whitehead's Borneo frog or Whitehead's torrent frog.

<i>Amolops attiguus</i> Species of frog

Amolops attiguus, the similar Lao torrent frog, is a species of true frog found in eastern Bolikhamxay Province and Xieng Khouang Province, Laos.

<i>Amolops tanfuilianae</i> Species of frog

Amolops tanfuilianae, or Fui Lian's Lao torrent frog, is a species of true frog found in Laos and Northern Vietnam.

<i>Amolops sengae</i> Species of frog

Amolops sengae, or Seng's Lao torrent frog, is a species of true frog found in Laos.

Amolops australis is a species of true frog that is found in the southern parts of Peninsular Malaysia. The author proposed the common name "southern torrent frog", which is a name shared by Arthroleptides yakusini.

Amolops gerutu, the tuberculated torrent frog, is a species of true frog found in Peninsular Malaysia.

Amolops albispinus, the white-spined cascade frog, is a species of true frog found in the Guangdong Province in China.

Amolops shuichengicus, the Shuicheng torrent frog, is a species of true frog from China.

References

  1. IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group. (2023). "Amolops afghanus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2023: e.T47005914A47005919. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2023-1.RLTS.T47005914A47005919.en .
  2. "Amolops afghanus". Catalogue of Life . Species 2000: Leiden, the Netherlands. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
  3. 1 2 Dever, Jennifer; Fuiten, Allison; Konu, Ozlen; Wilkinson, Jeffery (March 2012). "Cryptic Torrent Frogs of Myanmar: An Examination of the Amolops marmoratusSpecies Complex with the Resurrection of Amolops afghanus and the Identification of a New Species". Copeia: 13.
  4. 1 2 Günther, Albert (1858). "Neue Batrachier in der Sammlung des Britischen Museums" (PDF). Retrieved 29 July 2024.
  5. Citizen science observations for Amolops afghanus at iNaturalist
  6. "Amolops afghanus (Günther, 1858)". Amphibian Species of the World. American Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
  7. Inger, Robert (1966). "THE SYSTEMATICS AND ZOOGEOGRAPHY OF THE AMPHIBIA OF BORNEO". Biodiversity Heritage Library.
  8. Lyu, Zhi-Tong; Zeng, Zhao-Chi; Wan, Han; Yang, Jian-Huan; Li, Yu-Long; Pang, Hong; Wang, Ying-Yong (2019-05-23). "A new species of Amolops (Anura: Ranidae) from China, with taxonomic comments on A. liangshanensis and Chinese populations of A. marmoratus". Zootaxa. 4609 (2): 254. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4609.2.3. ISSN   1175-5334. PMID   31717106.