Wijayarana

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Wijayarana
Huia masonii 060615 jbti.jpg
Javan torrent frog (W. masonii)
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Ranidae
Genus: Wijayarana
Arifin, Chan, Smart, Hertwig, Smith, Iskandar, and Haas, 2021
Species

See text

Wijayarana is a group of true frogs found in Southeast Asia. Their common name is Wijaya cascade frogs. Many 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 closely related. [1] [2] [3]

Contents

Taxonomy

All species in this genus were previously classified in the genus Huia , which was found by a 2021 study to be paraphyletic; the type species Huia cavitympanum (the hole-in-the-head frog) was found to be related to the genus Meristogenys , whereas the remaining members of Huia were sister to this clade. Due to this, the new genus Wijayarana was described to accommodate all members of Huia aside from H. cavitympanum. The genus name is derived from wijaya, the Indonesian spelling of the Sanskrit word vijaya, meaning "victory", and references the former Srivijaya empire, whose territory closely resembles the distribution of the genus. [3]

Several species of Amolops and Odorrana are highly convergent with Wijayarana. O. absita for example is highly similar in habitus to the completely allopatric W. masonii . [4]

In another incidence of convergent evolution yielding adaptation to habitat, the tadpoles of Amolops, Wijayarana, Huia, Meristogenys as well as Rana sauteri have a raised and usually well-developed sucker on their belly. This is useful in keeping in place in rocky torrents, where these frogs grow up. But as Odorrana and Staurois from comparable habitat prove, this sucker is by no means a necessity and other means of adaptation to torrent habitat exist. [4]

Species

The following species are recognised in the genus Wijayarana: [1]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">True frog</span> Family of frogs

True frogs is the common name for the frog family Ranidae. They have the widest distribution of any frog family. They are abundant throughout most of the world, occurring on all continents except Antarctica. The true frogs are present in North America, northern South America, Europe, Africa, and Asia. The Asian range extends across the East Indies to New Guinea and a single species, the Australian wood frog, has spread into the far north of Australia.

<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.

Odorrana tormota, also known as the concave-eared torrent frog, is a species of frog native to China. Its distribution is restricted to Huangshan Mountains in Anhui and Jiande and Anji counties in northern Zhejiang. It occurs in fast-flowing streams and the surrounding habitats, and breeds in streams. The informally assigned common name for frogs in this genus is torrent frog.

Amolops monticola is a species of frog in the family Ranidae, the "true frogs". It is found in the Northeast India, eastern Nepal, and western China, although there is some uncertainty regarding the Chinese records. It probably also occurs in the intervening Bhutan. Common names mountain sucker frog, mountain stream frog, mountain torrent frog, and mountain cascade frog have been coined for it.

<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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Torrent frog</span> Index of animals with the same common name

Torrent frogs are a number of unrelated frogs that prefer to inhabit small rapid-flowing mountain or hill streams with a lot of torrents. They are generally smallish neobatrachians with a greyish-brown and usually darkly mottled back, giving them excellent camouflage among wet rocks overgrown with algae; their well-developed feet make them agile climbers of slippery rocks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hole-in-the-head frog</span> Species of amphibian

The hole-in-the-head frog is a species of frog in the family Ranidae. It is the only member of the genus Huia. It is found on the island of Borneo. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, subtropical or tropical moist montane forests, and torrential rivers. It is threatened by habitat loss.

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

The Javan torrent frog is a species of frog in the family Ranidae. It is endemic to Java, Indonesia. It is found in Mount Halimun Salak National Park, Ujung Kulon National Park, and Gunung Gede Pangrango National Park in West Java, as well as in Dieng Nature Reserve in Central Java.

The Siamese cascade frog or spotted-snout frog is a species of frogs in the family Ranidae. It is endemic to western and northern Thailand and known from Kanchanaburi, Prachuap Kiri Khan, and Chiang Mai Provinces.

Meristogenys amoropalamus is a species of frog in the family Ranidae. It is endemic to northern Borneo and occurs in northwestern Sabah and northeastern Sarawak (Malaysia) and in northeastern Kalimantan (Indonesia). Common names mountain Borneo frog and mountain torrent frog have been coined for it. Studies of its larvae revealed that the nominal species contained two cryptic forms, and in 2011, Shimada and colleagues described Meristogenys dyscritus as a separate species.

Meristogenys kinabaluensis is a species of frog in the family Ranidae. It is endemic to Borneo and is found in Sabah, Sarawak (Malaysia), and Kalimantan (Indonesia). The specific name refers to its type locality, Mount Kinabalu.

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.

<i>Meristogenys orphnocnemis</i> Species of frog in family Ranidae

Meristogenys orphnocnemis is a species of frog in the family Ranidae, sometimes known as Sabah Borneo frog or dusky-footed torrent frog. It is endemic to Borneo and found in the mountains of Sabah (Malaysia), Brunei, and East Kalimantan (Indonesia). Its natural habitats are hilly lowland rainforest, also occurring in slightly disturbed forests. Tadpoles live in clear, rocky forest streams where they cling to rocks in strong currents. Siltation of streams caused by deforestation is a threat to this species.

Meristogenys phaeomerus is a species of frog in the family Ranidae. It is endemic to Borneo and known from central Sarawak (Malaysia) and adjacent Kalimantan (Indonesia). The specific name phaeomerus is derived from the Greek phaios for "dusky" and meros for "thigh", in reference to the appearance of the rear of the thigh. Common names Kapit Borneo frog and Kapit torrent frog have been coined for it.

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.

Amolops daorum is a species of frog in the family Ranidae. It is known from its type locality in the vicinity of Sa Pa in northern Vietnam near the Chinese border, Hong Kong, and Houaphanh Province in eastern Laos; presumably it also occurs the intervening areas. The Hong Kong record is considered suspicious, however.

<i>Odorrana</i> Genus of amphibians

Odorrana, commonly known as odorous frogs, is a genus of true frogs (Ranidae) from East Asia and surrounding regions. Many of these frogs inhabit fast-flowing mountain streams, and they typically have a remarkably pointed snout, as evidenced by common names like tip-nosed frog and scientific names like nasica or nasutus.

<i>Sumaterana</i> Genus of frogs

Sumaterana, commonly known as Sumatran cascade frogs, is a genus of true frogs in the family Ranidae endemic to the island of Sumatra, Indonesia. Species inhabit fast-flowing streams found in primary or secondary forests.

Meristogenys maryatiae, also known as Maryati's torrent frog, is a species of frog in the family Ranidae. It is endemic to the state of Sabah, in the Malaysian part of Borneo. The specific name honours Prof. Datin Mohamed Maryati, entomologist from the Universiti Malaysia Sabah, who helped the describers of this species during their herpetological surveys in Sabah.

References

  1. 1 2 "Wijayarana Arifin, Chan, Smart, Hertwig, Smith, Iskandar, and Haas, 2021". Amphibian Species of the World.
  2. Cai et al. (2007), Stuart (2008)
  3. 1 2 Arifin, Umilaela; Chan, Kin Onn; Smart, Utpal; Hertwig, Stefan T; Smith, Eric N; Iskandar, Djoko T; Haas, Alexander (2021-01-12). "Revisiting the phylogenetic predicament of the genus Huia (Amphibia: Ranidae) using molecular data and tadpole morphology". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 193 (2): 673–699. doi: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlaa158 . ISSN   0024-4082.
  4. 1 2 Stuart (2008)