Kaloula baleata

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Kaloula baleata
Kal balea 080117-3561 hurn.jpg
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Microhylidae
Genus: Kaloula
Species:
K. baleata
Binomial name
Kaloula baleata
(Müller In Oort and Müller, 1833)

Kaloula baleata, the flower pot toad or sometimes the smooth-fingered narrow-mouthed frog, is a species of narrow-mouthed toad. It is native to India, Borneo, Indochinese Peninsula, Java, Malay Peninsula and Philippines where it lives in lowland rainforests and is tolerant of disturbed sites. The IUCN lists it as being of "Least Concern".

Contents

Description

The smooth-fingered narrow-mouthed frog is a stout animal with a rounded body. Females average a snout-to-vent length of 65 millimetres (2.6 in) and males are a little smaller. The hind limbs are short and the digits of the hands have spoon-shaped tips while the toes are webbed. The colour is dark brown but many white-tipped tubercles give it a rough, speckled appearance. In individuals from Java, there is a brick red spot in the groin region whereas other populations have a yellow spot in this location. [2]

Distribution and habitat

This frog is native to the mainland of Malaysia, Borneo, Sumatra, Nusa Tenggara, Sulawesi, southern Thailand, and the Philippines. Its habitat is primary and secondary rainforest up to an altitude of about 800 metres (2,600 ft) and it can tolerate some disturbance of its environment. It also occurs on flood plains. [1]

Divergent varieties that may turn out to be new species have been found in Palawan and Sulawesi. These include: [3]

The subspecies K. baleata goshi has been reported from Little Andaman and South Andaman Islands (Das & Dutta 1998). [4]

Behaviour

This frog is a fossorial species and lives among the leaf litter but can also climb into trees up to 6 metres (20 ft) above the forest floor. It is an explosive breeder and with many individuals breeding as soon as the rainy season starts. The tadpoles do not feed and undergo metamorphosis into juvenile frogs after about two weeks of development. In the Andaman Islands this frog is said to breed in holes in trees. [1] [2]

Status

This frog has a wide range and the population seems to be reasonably stable, the IUCN rates it as being of "Least Concern" as it considers that the rate of decline, if any, is insufficient to justify listing it in a more threatened category. It is common in some parts of its range and no particular threats to this species have been identified apart from some degradation of its forest habitat. [1]

Related Research Articles

True toad Family of amphibians

A true toad is any member of the family Bufonidae, in the order Anura. This is the only family of anurans in which all members are known as toads, although some may be called frogs. The bufonids now comprise more than 35 genera, Bufo being the best known.

Banded bullfrog Species of frog

The banded bullfrog is a species of frog in the narrow-mouthed frog family Microhylidae. Native to Southeast Asia, it is also known as the Asian painted frog, digging frog, Malaysian bullfrog, common Asian frog, and painted balloon frog. In the pet trade, it is sometimes called the chubby frog. Adults measure 5.4 to 7.5 cm and have a dark brown back with stripes that vary from copper-brown to salmon pink.

<i>Kalophrynus</i> Genus of amphibians

Kalophrynus is a genus of microhylid frogs. It is the only genus in the subfamily Kalophryninae. The species in this genus are found in southern China, in Southeast Asia to Java and Philippines, and in Assam, India.

<i>Kaloula</i> Genus of amphibians

Kaloula is a genus of microhylid frogs found in southern and eastern Asia. They are sometimes known as the Asian narrowmouth toads.

<i>Microhyla ornata</i> Species of amphibian

Microhyla ornata, commonly known as the ornate narrow-mouthed frog, ornate narrow-mouthed toad, or ornamented pygmy frog, is a species of microhylid frog found in South Asia. This amphibian is distributed in Kashmir, Nepal, peninsular India and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh. It was previously considered to be the same species as Microhyla fissipes; therefore, the aforementioned common names can refer to either species.

<i>Fejervarya limnocharis</i> Species of amphibian

Fejervarya limnocharis is a species of frog found in South East Asia and parts of Indochina. It is known under many common names, including Boie's wart frog, rice field frog, and Asian grass frog. Molecular studies of the species complex suggest that there may be multiple species involved.

<i>Kaloula assamensis</i> Species of amphibian

Kaloula assamensis, also known as Assamese balloon frog or Assam narrow-mouth toad, is a species of narrow-mouthed frogs found in Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, and West Bengal in northeastern India.

<i>Microhyla berdmorei</i> Species of amphibian

Microhyla berdmorei is a species of narrow-mouthed frog found in eastern India, Bangladesh, southernmost China (Yunnan), Mainland Southeast Asia as well as Borneo and Sumatra. Frogs from Bangladesh probably represent an unnamed species.

<i>Microhyla chakrapanii</i> Species of frog

Microhyla chakrapanii is a species of frog in the family Microhylidae, the narrow-mouthed frogs. It is endemic to the Andaman Islands. It is also known as the Mayabunder rice frog, Chakrapani's narrow-mouthed frog, and bilateral banded frog. Although morphology suggests association with the Microhyla achatina group, molecular data places it in the Microhyla fissipes group, with Microhyla mymensinghensis as its closest relative.

Hoses frog 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>Ansonia leptopus</i> Species of amphibian

Ansonia leptopus is a species of toad in the family Bufonidae. It is known from a few lowland localities in Borneo, Sumatra (Indonesia), and Peninsular Malaysia; it is reported as common in lowland Malaysian Borneo. Its presence in Peninsular Malaysia is uncertain. Its common names are brown slender toad, Matang stream toad, and cricket-voiced toad.

<i>Pelophryne misera</i> Species of amphibian

Pelophryne misera, the black flathead toad or Kinabalu dwarf toad, is a species of toad in the family Bufonidae. It is endemic to northwestern Borneo and known from Sabah and Sarawak (Malaysia), although its distribution is likely to be broader and might extend to Kalimantan (Indonesia). It was first described from specimens collected from Mount Kinabalu.

Philippine narrowmouth toad Species of amphibian

The Philippine narrowmouth toad or the truncate-toed chorus frog is a species of frog in the family Microhylidae. It is endemic to the Philippines. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests, subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, subtropical or tropical moist shrubland, subtropical or tropical seasonally wet or flooded lowland grassland, rivers, intermittent rivers, freshwater lakes, intermittent freshwater lakes, freshwater marshes, intermittent freshwater marshes, arable land, pastureland, plantations, rural gardens, heavily degraded former forest, water storage areas, ponds, irrigated land, and seasonally flooded agricultural land. It is threatened by habitat loss.

Kalinga narrowmouth toad Species of amphibian

The Kalinga narrowmouth toad is a species of frog in the family Microhylidae. It is endemic to the Philippines. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, subtropical or tropical moist montane forests, arable land, pastureland, and plantations. It is threatened by habitat loss.

Kaloula walteri is a species of frog in the family Microhylidae. It is endemic to the Philippines, where it is found in the mountains of southeastern Luzon Island and Polillo Island. The specific name walteri honors Walter C. Brown, an American herpetologist. Common name Walter's narrow-mouthed frog has been proposed for it. Kaloula walteri is most closely related to Kaloula rigida.

Common tree frog Species of amphibian

Polypedates leucomystax is a species in the shrub frog family Rhacophoridae. It is known under numerous common names, including common tree frog, four-lined tree frog, golden tree frog or striped tree frog. Many past authors have united it with the common Indian tree frog in P. maculatus, but today they are generally considered distinct species. In its native range, it is also called "white-lipped tree frog", but this name is otherwise applied to a species of true tree frogs.

<i>Polypedates macrotis</i> Species of amphibian

Polypedates macrotis, commonly known as the dark-eared treefrog, sometimes also Bongao tree frog, Bongao bubble-nest frog, Baram whipping frog, or brown-striped tree frog, is a species of frog in the family Rhacophoridae. It is found in the central peninsular Thailand, Sumatra, Borneo, and Sulu Archipelago as well as a range of other Philippine islands.

<i>Chalcorana raniceps</i> Species of amphibian

Chalcorana raniceps, also known as the copper-cheeked frog, white-lipped frog, or Peters' Malaysian frog, is a species of "true frog" in the family Ranidae. It is endemic to Borneo, including Brunei Darussalam, Kalimantan (Indonesia), and Sarawak (Malaysia), although it is likely to occur more widely. Previously mixed with Chalcorana chalconota and believed to have much wider distribution, its range was delimited to Borneo in the revision of "Rana chalconota" complex by Robert Inger and colleagues in 2009.

<i>Kaloula latidisca</i> Species of amphibian

Kaloula latidisca is a species of frogs in the family Microhylidae. It is endemic to Kedah, Malaysia. Its presence in southern Thailand is uncertain. It is most similar to Kaloula baleata and Kaloula indochinensis.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Arvin Diesmos, Angel Alcala, Rafe Brown, Leticia Afuang, Genevieve Gee, Jeet Sukumaran, Norsham Yaakob, Leong Tzi Ming, Yodchaiy Chuaynkern, Kumthorn Thirakhupt, Indraneil Das, Djoko Iskandar, Mumpuni, Robert Inger, Robert Stuebing, Paul Yambun, Maklarin Lakim (2004). "Kaloula baleata". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2004: e.T57848A11693266. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2004.RLTS.T57848A11693266.en . Retrieved 19 November 2021.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  2. 1 2 Marcelino, Janel (2007-03-14). "Kaloula baleata". AmphibiaWeb. Retrieved 2013-12-11.
  3. Chan KO, Grismer LL, Brown RM (December 2014). "Reappraisal of the Javanese Bullfrog complex, Kaloula baleata (Müller, 1836) (Amphibia: Anura: Microhylidae), reveals a new species from Peninsular Malaysia". Zootaxa. 3900 (4): 569–80. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.3900.4.7. PMID   25543757.
  4. Das, I. & Dutta, S.K. (1998) Checklist of the amphibians of India, with English common names. Hamadryad, 23, 63–68.