Vampyrius

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Vampire tree frog
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Rhacophoridae
Subfamily: Rhacophorinae
Genus: Vampyrius
Dubois, Ohler, and Pyron, 2021
Species:
V. vampyrus
Binomial name
Vampyrius vampyrus
(Rowley, Le, Tran, Stuart, and Hoang, 2010)
Synonyms

Rhacophorus vampyrusRowley, Le, Tran, Stuart, and Hoang, 2010

Contents

Southern Vietnam Map Location map of Vietnam (South Vietnamese claim).png
Southern Vietnam Map
Vampyrius
Map of Vietnam, with rectangles showing approximate range of R. Vampyrus.

Rhacophorus vampyrus (Vampyrius vampyrus) is a medium-sized species of flying frogs endemic to Vietnam. It is found in Southern Vietnam, and is not known to be found in other places globally. It Is in the kingdom Animalia, phylum Chordata, and class Amphibia. [2] Along with this, it is in the order Anura, family Rhacophoridae, [2] and it is the only member of the genus Vampyrus. [3] [4] It is also known as the vampire tree frog [3] or the vampire flying frog [5] [6] [7] because of the presence of a pair of fang-like hooks in the mouth of the tadpoles. [7] Its Vietnamese name is Ếch cây ma cà rồng. [3]

It is found in montane evergreen forests at 1470–2004 m. [3] The frog is adapted to arboreal living with webbings of feet that allow it to glide between trees. [8] [9] These webbed feet give the name "flying" to the common name vampire flying frog, as the frog glides between trees it appears to be flying.

Rhacophorus vampyrus and Vampyrius vampyrus are used interchangeably between academic articles.

Taxonomy

The first specimen was discovered in 2008 by Jodi Rowley of the Australian Museum at Sydney, Australia, and her student Le Thi Thuy Duong from Ho Chi Minh City University of Science. After collecting more specimens in 2009 and 2010, her team described the new species as Rhacophorus vampyrus in the journal Zootaxa in 2010. [8] [9] In 2012, the species was classified as Rhacophorus calcaneus due to the morphology of adult frogs; [10] however, in 2014 the species was reclassified as R. vampyrus through phylogenic research. [10] In 2021, a phylogenetic study found the species to fall far outside Rhacophorus , and instead be the sister genus to Gracixalus ; for this reason, it was reclassified into the new genus Vampyrius. This classification is accepted by Amphibian Species of the World , but has not been followed by AmphibiaWeb. [11] [12] [13] This disagreement among scientists contributes to why this article uses Rhacophorus vampyrus and Vampyrius vampyrus interchangeably. Rhacophorus vampyrus is in the family of Rhacophoridae, found throughout Africa, Southeast Asia, China, Taiwan, Japan, the Greater Sunda Islands, and the Philippines, which has approximately 320 species. [3]

Description

R. vampyrus can grow to 4.5 cm. [6] There is webbing present between the toes of R. vampyrus, allowing it to glide between trees. [9] [10] The back of the species is pale copper-brown with fainter, dark-brown mottlin g. The chest and belly are white, with a very small amount of black mottling at the edge of the chest. The upper surfaces of the arms and legs are copper brown with diffuse, dark-brown barring. The upper surfaces of the hands and feet are a copper brown which fades to pinkish-cream or grey at the fingers and toes. The lower surfaces of the hands and feet are a pale grey color. The upper surfaces of webbing of the hands and feet are dark grey to black in color. The lower surfaces of the species are grey. R. vampyrus has pale yellow/gold irises with a small rim of blue. [3] There is also a pointed projection at tibiotarsal articulation. [3] Tadpoles have distinctive mouth morphology, of having black keratinized hooks. [14] Tadpoles have elliptical bodies, with compressed and long tails, and dark brown coloring besides sometimes apparent lack of pigmentation on tail fins. [15] Tadpole eyes are black with iris colored with gold specks. [15]

Distribution

R. vampyrus is so far known only in southern Vietnam. [1] Specimens were first found inside Bidoup Núi Bà National Park, although scientists expect to find them to be more widely distributed on the Langbian Plateau (specifically in Chư Yang Sin National Park and Phước Bình National Park). [3] They have been later found in Ta Dung Nature reserve, Dak Glong District. [16] The area that R. vampyrus extends is approximately 2,082 km2. [2] The species R. vampyrus is known to be separated between two areas geographically, which have low, unsuitable elevations between the locations. [2] The species was previously believed to have a larger geographical range, however due to factors such as habitats loss the species no longer extended as far and wide. [2] The species dwells in a terrestrial, forest habitat, however there is not a large amount of data on the species to give the exact range of R. Vampyrus. [2]

Life cycle

R. vampyrus is a phytotelm breeder and lays its eggs in small water-filled tree holes during the rainy seasons, generally 0.3–1.2 m above the ground. Reproduction occurs mostly from July to May, producing clutches of a maximum amount of 250 eggs. [2] The eggs are laid in foam nests on the wall of the tree hole, where nests are usually about 30–120 cm above the ground. The larvae when hatched fall into a hollow basin filled with water. [2] Tadpoles develop from the non-pigmented eggs, however fertilized and unfertilized eggs have no difference in the size or structure. [15] The eggs are white in color, along with having a thin and transparent covering on the outside shell of each egg, with diameters between 0.70 and 1.29 mm. [15] The tadpoles are long and dark-brown in colour. Their tails are about three times as long as their bodies. The species shows an unusual tadpole mouthpart morphology unknown in other anurans, namely presence of a specific serrated horny arch on the upper jaw, and a pair of fang-like horny teeth on the lower jaw. The two keratinized hooks project forward, and are supported laterally by two similar sized fleshy papillae on the margin of the reduced lower labium. [3] Younger tadpoles have paler, white or gray, coloration, and as they advance into later stages of life, darker brown bodies are acquired, however tails may still remain a lighter, less pigmented color. [15] The species is named after these unusual "fangs". [7]

Example of Rhacophorus Frog Eggs Rhacophorus arboreus Eggs in Mount Ryu 2011-09-29.jpg
Example of Rhacophorus Frog Eggs

Diet

These unique mouthparts on the tadpoles indicate that the tadpoles are strictly feeding on eggs (oophagous) and the extra unfertilized eggs (specifically for food) are deposited by the mother frog in the water hole. This is an example of advanced parental care. [16] [15] The tadpoles have a large gape in the mouth, which lets them ingest larger objects, such as eggs with a jelly coating still adhered. [16] The tadpoles have an intestine pouch that can expand to hold a large volume of eggs, and it was observed to shrink when the tadpole has not ingested food sources for a period of time. [16]

Conservation

Threats

Rhacophorus vampyrus is classified as endangered under the IUCN Red List in 2014. [2] R. vampyrus is geographically separated from its two main populations, due to the lower elevation being uninhabitable between these two areas. [2] Due to this, having a larger range of the species would be improbable naturally, and reproduction to possibility increase the population would need human intervention due to the unsuitable conditions. Along with this, R. vampyrus needs to live in moist and dense montane rainforest environments. [16] Threats such as Deforestation, along with exploitation of other forest resources are threats to R. vampyrus, along with the aquaculture and agriculture processes, mostly for the harvesting of coffee beans, can cause environmental changes to the area. [17] These changes continue to decrease the number of frogs alive, and due to the threats persisting, the number of individuals in the species is continuing to decrease. [2] Road development is also another factor that may put the environmental and species of R. Vampyrus in danger, [16] where building roads requires damaging ecosystems along with a possible contributor to deforestation. Since R. Vampyrus needs montane rainforest environments to survive, [16] deforestation and other factors disturbing the rainforests could cause extinction of the endangered species. Along with this, R. vampyrus lives in arboreally, [9] [8] dwelling in trees along with reproduction that occurs mainly in tree holes. Losing the natural environmental poses a threat on the reproduction and habitat of R. vampyrus. Vietnam faces challenges with protecting forests, in order to preserve the ecosystem that is present, [18] including R. vampyrus.

Deforestation in Vietnam Pha rung01.JPG
Deforestation in Vietnam

Efforts

This species is only known to be found in protected areas, which include Bidoup-Nui National Park and Ta Dung Nature Reserve. [2] There is also probability that R. vampyrus ranges into other areas, which may be protected areas such as Chu Yang Sin National Park and Phuoc Binh National Park, along with unprotected areas as well. [3] There is a lack of data on the species overall, [2] which could be a factor that inhibits conservation efforts to be made. One way which conservation can be attempted for R. vampyrus is finding more data and doing extended research on the species, specifically including research on habitat threats, population, and the ecology of the species. [2] The frog has not since been translocated in order to attempt conservation, or has been in captivation. [19]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rhacophoridae</span> Family of amphibians

The Rhacophoridae are a family of frogs that occur in tropical sub-Saharan Africa, South India and Sri Lanka, Japan, northeastern India to eastern China and Taiwan, south through the Philippines and Greater Sundas, and Sulawesi. They are commonly known as shrub frogs, or more ambiguously as "moss frogs" or "bush frogs". Some Rhacophoridae are called "tree frogs". Among the most spectacular members of this family are numerous "flying frogs".

<i>Theloderma</i> Genus of amphibians

Theloderma, the bug-eyed frogs, mossy frogs or warty frogs, is a genus of frogs in the family Rhacophoridae, subfamily Rhacophorinae. They are found from northeastern India and southern China, through Southeast Asia, to the Greater Sunda Islands; the highest species richness is in Indochina. Some species, especially T. corticale, are sometimes kept in captivity.

<i>Rhacophorus</i> Genus of amphibians

Rhacophorus is a genus of frogs in the shrub frog family (Rhacophoridae) and the related Hylidae make up the true tree frogs. They are found in India, Japan, China, and Southeast Asia. Over 40 species are currently recognised.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malabar gliding frog</span> Species of amphibian

The Malabar gliding frog or Malabar flying frog is a rhacophorid tree frog species found in the Western Ghats of India.

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

Wallace's flying frog, also known as the gliding frog or the Abah River flying frog, is a moss frog found at least from the Malay Peninsula into western Indonesia, and is present in Borneo and Sumatra. It is named for the biologist, Alfred R. Wallace, who collected the first known specimen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Common tree frog</span> 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>Feihyla kajau</i> Species of frog

Feihyla kajau, also known as the Dring's flying frog, white-eared tree frog, and white-eared jelly-nest frog, is a species of frog in the family Rhacophoridae. It is endemic to Borneo and found in all major jurisdictions of the island Kalimantan (Indonesia), Sabah and Sarawak (Malaysia), and Brunei. The specific name kajau is Berawan for "charming".

Rhacophorus poecilonotus, also known as the Sumatra flying frog, is a species of frog in the family Rhacophoridae. It is endemic to Sumatra, Indonesia.

The Malayan flying frog is a species of frog in the moss frog family (Rhacophoridae). It is found in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand.

<i>Rhacophorus pseudomalabaricus</i> Species of amphibian

Rhacophorus pseudomalabaricus, also known as Anaimalai flying frog, false Malabar gliding frog, and false Malabar tree frog, is a species of frog in the family Rhacophoridae. It is endemic to the Anaimalai Hills, a part of the southern the Western Ghats in the Tamil Nadu and Kerala states, India.

<i>Rhacophorus reinwardtii</i> Species of frog

Rhacophorus reinwardtii is a species of frog in the family Rhacophoridae. It is variously known under the common names of black-webbed treefrog, green flying frog, Reinwardt's flying frog, or Reinwardt's treefrog. Before 2006, Rhacophorus reinwardtii and Rhacophorus kio were considered to be the same species. It is not considered threatened by the IUCN.

Theloderma nebulosum, the misty moss frog, is a species of frogs in the family Rhacophoridae. It is endemic to central Vietnam and currently only known from Ngọc Linh Nature Reserve in the Kon Tum Province. Only one female and a series of tadpoles collected in 2009–2010 are known. This species, together with Theloderma palliatum, was described by Australian and Vietnamese scientists in 2011.

Theloderma palliatum is a species of frog in the family Rhacophoridae. It is endemic to Vietnam and so far only known from the Bidoup Núi Bà and Chư Yang Sin National Parks. This species, together with Theloderma nebulosum, was first found by Australian and Vietnamese scientists in Tay Nguyen in 2011.

Helen's tree frog is a flying frogs found in low-lying forests of southern Vietnam, from Nui Ong Nature Reserve, Bình Thuận Province to jungle in Tân Phú District, Đồng Nai. It is named after Helen M. Rowley, mother of one of the discoverers.

<i>Gracixalus</i> Genus of amphibians

Gracixalus is a genus of shrub frogs from south-eastern Asia.

<i>Rhacophorus kio</i> Species of amphibian

Rhacophorus kio is a species of flying frog in the family Rhacophoridae and is found in the rainforests of southeast Asia, in countries such as China, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam. Its ability to glide and its adhesive toe pads make it well adapted to its habitat of the rainforest. Prior to a 2006 study by Annemarie Ohler and Magali Delorme, R. kio and R. reinwardtii were thought to be the same species. The common name black-webbed treefrog can refer to either species. Compared to other frog species in the area, R. kio not only creates a foam nest that holds their eggs, but also creates a structure with leaves that will wrap around the eggs. While the conservation status of the species is currently classified as of least concern by the IUCN Red List, R. kio faces habitat loss from deforestation to make space for agriculture and other human influences.

<i>Gracixalus lumarius</i> Species of amphibian

Gracixalus lumarius, also known as the thorny tree frog or thorny bushfrog, is a species of rhacophorid frog. It is endemic to Vietnam and only known from Mount Ngoc Linh in Ngoc Linh Nature Reserve, Kon Tum Province.

Gracixalus trieng, also known as the Trieng tree frog or Trieng bushfrog, is a species of frog in the family Rhacophoridae. It is endemic to Vietnam and is only known from the area of its type locality, Ngoc Linh Nature Reserve in Đắk Glei District, Kon Tum Province. Mount Ngoc Linh and adjacent peaks form an isolated high-elevation area and the species is unlikely to exist elsewhere.

<i>Theloderma pyaukkya</i>

Theloderma pyaukkya, the Burmese camouflaged tree frog, Burmese warty tree frog or Burmese bug-eyed frog, is a species of frog in the family Rhacophoridae. It is native to China and western Myanmar.

Rhacophorus hoabinhensis, the Hoa Binh tree frog, is a species of frog in the family Rhacophoridae. It is endemic to Vietnam. Scientists know it exclusively from the type locality: Hang Kia–Pa Co Nature Reserve, 1350 meters above sea level.

References

  1. 1 2 IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group (2020). "Rhacophorus vampyrus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2020: e.T47143971A177130806. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T47143971A177130806.en . Retrieved 20 November 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 "Rhacophorus vampyrus: IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 20 January 2014. doi: 10.2305/iucn.uk.2020-3.rlts.t47143971a177130806.en . Retrieved 30 September 2022.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Jodi J. L. Rowley; Le Thi Thuy Duong; Tran Thi Anh Dao; Bryan L. Stuart & Hoang Duc Huy (2010). "A new tree frog of the genus Rhacophorus (Anura: Rhacophoridae) from southern Vietnam" (PDF). Zootaxa. 2727: 45–55.
  4. ↑ "Vampyrius vampyrus (Rowley, Le, Thi, Stuart, and Hoang, 2010) | Amphibian Species of the World". amphibiansoftheworld.amnh.org. Retrieved 12 September 2022.
  5. ↑ "Vampire flying frog found in Vietnam". ABC News. 6 January 2011. Retrieved 9 January 2011.
  6. 1 2 Ben Cubby (7 January 2011). "Frog's scary name is worse than its bite". The Age. Retrieved 9 January 2011.
  7. 1 2 3 Charles Choi (7 January 2011). ""Vampire Flying Frog" Found; Tadpoles Have Black Fangs". National Geographic. Retrieved 9 January 2011.
  8. 1 2 3 Stephen Luntz (March 2011). "Flying Vampire Frog Alert". Australasian Science. Control Publications. Retrieved 20 November 2013.
  9. 1 2 3 4 Aaron Smith (13 January 2011). "Vampire flying frog discovered". Australian Geographic. Retrieved 20 November 2013.
  10. 1 2 3 Kropachev, Ivan I.; Evsyunin, Alexey A.; Orlov, Nikolai L.; Nguyen, Tao Thien (22 March 2022). "A New Species of <i>Rhacophorus</i> Genus (Anura: Rhacophoridae: Rhacophorinae) from Lang Son Province, Northern Vietnam". Russian Journal of Herpetology. 29 (1): 35–46. doi:10.30906/1026-2296-2022-29-1-35-46. ISSN   1026-2296. S2CID   247612765.
  11. ↑ "Vampyrius Dubois, Ohler, and Pyron, 2021 | Amphibian Species of the World". amphibiansoftheworld.amnh.org. Retrieved 12 September 2022.
  12. ↑ Dubois, Alain; Ohler, Annemarie; Pyron, R. Alexander (26 February 2021). "New concepts and methods for phylogenetic taxonomy and nomenclature in zoology, exemplified by a new ranked cladonomy of recent amphibians (Lissamphibia)". Megataxa. 5 (1): 1–738–1–738. doi: 10.11646/megataxa.5.1.1 . ISSN   2703-3090. S2CID   236674452.
  13. ↑ "AmphibiaWeb - Rhacophorus vampyrus". amphibiaweb.org. Retrieved 12 September 2022.
  14. ↑ "AmphibiaWeb - Rhacophorus vampyrus". amphibiaweb.org. Retrieved 21 September 2022.
  15. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Anna B. Vassilieva; Eduard A. Galoyan & Nikolay A. Poyarkov Jr. (2013). "Rhacophorus vampyrus (Anura: Rhacophoridae) reproductive biology: A new type of oophagous tadpole in Asian treefrogs". Journal of Herpetology. 47 (4): 607–614. doi:10.1670/12-180. S2CID   83859555.
  16. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Rowley, J.J.L.; Tran, D.T.A.; Le, D.T.T.; Hoang, H.D.; Altig, R. (2012). "The strangest tadpole: The oophagous, tree-hole dwelling tadpole of Rhacophorus vampyrus (Anura: Rhacophoridae) from Vietnam". Journal of Natural History. 46 (47–48): 2969–2978. doi:10.1080/00222933.2012.732622. S2CID   84414631.
  17. ↑ Thinh, Phung Ba; Quang, Nguyen Hao; Quyet, Le Khac; Duc, Hoang Minh (6 August 2012). "A survey on avifauna of Bidoup - Nui Ba national park, Lam Dong province". Tap Chi Sinh Hoc. 34 (3se). doi: 10.15625/0866-7160/v34n3se.1765 . ISSN   0866-7160.
  18. ↑ Vogelmann, James E.; Khoa, Phung Van; Lan, Do Xuan; Shermeyer, Jacob; Shi, Hua; Wimberly, Michael C.; Duong, Hoang Tat; Huong, Le Van (July 2017). "Assessment of Forest Degradation in Vietnam Using Landsat Time Series Data". Forests. 8 (7): 238. doi: 10.3390/f8070238 . ISSN   1999-4907.
  19. ↑ AArk/ASG Assessment Workshop. 2012. Conservation Needs Assessment for Rhacophorus vampyrus, Viet Nam. https://www.conservationneeds.org/Assessment/AssessmentResults?assessmentId=2405&countryId=141&speciesId=5387 . Accessed 30 Sep 2022
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