Wallace's flying frog

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Wallace's flying frog
Rhacophorus nigropalmatus.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Rhacophoridae
Genus: Rhacophorus
Species:
R. nigropalmatus
Binomial name
Rhacophorus nigropalmatus
Boulenger, 1895

Wallace's flying frog (Rhacophorus nigropalmatus), 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. [2]

Contents

Taxonomy

R. dennysii , R. maximus and Polypedates feae were once contained within Wallace's flying frog as subspecies. Similar frogs also occur in Laos, Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand and southern China; these may be R. nigropalmatus or an undescribed, closely related species. [1]

Description

Illustration from Wallace's 1869 The Malay Archipelago by J. G. Keulemans Wallace frog.jpg
Illustration from Wallace's 1869 The Malay Archipelago by J. G. Keulemans
A Wallace's flying frog in its natural habitat paadekhiiywtiindam.gif
A Wallace's flying frog in its natural habitat

This frog is quite photogenic, due to its large size, brilliant colors, and interesting behavior. [3] With a body length of about 80–100 mm (males are smaller than females), it is one of the largest species of Rhacophorus . Its eardrums are large, as well as its eyes, which feature horizontal pupils. Its limbs are very long, and its fingers and toes are webbed right to the tips. Together with a fringe of skin stretching between the limbs, this flying frog can parachute to the forest floor from high in the trees where it is normally found. [4]

Its back is bright shiny green and the underside is white to pale yellow. The upper sides of the inside toes, as well as the outer parts of the toe and finger webbing, are brilliant yellow. The base of the webs and one flank spot per side are jet black. [4] Overall, this frog looks much like the green flying frog (R. reinwardtii) and R. kio , which even if full grown do not reach the size of Wallace's flying frog, though, and have more orange web fringes.

They live almost exclusively in the trees, and leaps and "flies" from tree to tree or to bushes. When threatened or in search of prey, they will leap from a branch and splay their four webbed feet. The membranes between their toes and loose skin flaps on their sides catch the air as they fall, helping them to glide, sometimes 50 feet (15 meters) or more, to a neighboring tree branch or even all the way to the ground. They also have oversized toe pads to help them land softly and stick to tree trunks. They survive mainly on insects, but have been known to consume toads and small birds. [5] The species is known to fall prey to tree climbing snakes. [6]

The female creates a bubble nest by lashing fluids she produces, on a branch or on foliage above water. She lays her eggs in the nest and the male fertilises them. When they hatch, the tadpoles develop in the nest until it breaks up and they fall into the water below. Here they continue their development, and undergo metamorphosis into juvenile frogs. [7] Young frogs are red with white spots for around a year before maturing into green adults, which is thought to ward off predation by mimicking feces. [8]

Distribution and habitat

The frog is found throughout Thailand, Myanmar and Peninsular Malaysia, as well as on Sumatra in Indonesia and Borneo (Brunei, Malaysia, and Indonesia). [9] This frog lives in trees, palm trees, bushes, and similar plants. It has been found both in primary forest and in areas that had been subject to logging, ranging in elevation between 700 and 1800 feet above sea level. [10]

See also

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>Rhacophorus</i> Genus of amphibians

Rhacophorus is a genus of frogs in the shrub-frog family Rhacophoridae, which, with the related Hylidae, is one of the two genera of true tree frogs. They are found in China, India, Japan, and throughout Southeast Asia, including the island of Borneo. 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.

<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>Raorchestes parvulus</i> Species of amphibian

Raorchestes parvulus is a species of frog in the family Rhacophoridae. It is found from eastern Bangladesh east through Myanmar and Thailand to Cambodia, northern Vietnam, Laos, and Peninsular Malaysia. Its distribution might well extend into northeastern India and southern China. This species was first described by George Albert Boulenger based on seven specimens collected by Leonardo Fea from Karen Hills, Burma.

<i>Zhangixalus schlegelii</i> Species of frog

Zhangixalus schlegelii is a species of frog in the family Rhacophoridae. It is endemic to Japan and found in Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu as well as the Ryukyu Islands. It is named after Hermann Schlegel, a 19th-century German zoologist.

<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>Polypedates otilophus</i> Species of amphibian

Polypedates otilophus is a species of frog in the family Rhacophoridae. It is endemic to Borneo where it is widespread and found in Brunei, Indonesia, and Malaysia, typically in the lowlands but sometimes as high as 1,100 m (3,600 ft) above sea level. This species has prominent, sharp ridges behind the eye, above the ear, referred to in its names.

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

Rhacophorus bipunctatus is a frog species in the moss frog family (Rhacophoridae) found from eastern India into Southeast Asia, possibly to southeastern China and south to Malaysia. Due to the identification problems surrounding this species, the eastern and southern limits of its range remain undetermined; all that is known is that the species certainly occurs in the border region of India, Bangladesh, China and Myanmar; its range might extend south to Malaysia, as similar frogs have been reported from Pahang.

Leptomantis gauni is a species of frog in the family Rhacophoridae. It is endemic to Borneo and is found in Sabah and central Sarawak (Malaysia), Brunei, and north-eastern Kalimantan (Indonesia). The specific name gauni honours Gaun Sureng, a collector for the Sarawak Museum and a companion to Robert F. Inger on field trips when this species was observed. Common names short-nosed tree frog and Inger's flying frog have been coined for it.

<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".

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

Rhacophorus lateralis is a rhacophorid tree frog endemic to the Western Ghats in South India. It has several common names: small tree frog, Boulenger's tree frog, small gliding frog, and winged gliding frog. After its original description in 1883 by George Albert Boulenger, the frog was rediscovered in Coorg in 2000 and has since been found in many parts of the Western Ghats around southern Karnataka and northern Kerala. Along with R. malabaricus, it is one of the few anuran amphibians in India that constructs its nest above the ground using leaves.

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

Rhacophorus rhodopus is a species of frog in the moss frog family (Rhacophoridae). It occurs in south-eastern Asia, from India to southern China, and south to Malaysia. Previously unknown from Laos, it has now been found in Phongsali Province and at Luang Prabang. Its taxonomy is disputed.

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.

<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.

Rhacophorus indonesiensis is a species of frog in the family Rhacophoridae. It has been observed in Sumatra in India.

Rhacophorus norhayatii, the orange-sided whipping frog, Norhayati's gliding frog, or Wallace's orange-sided tree frog, is a species of frog in the family Rhacophoridae. It has been observed in Malaysia, Myanmar, and Thailand, though scientists believe the Sumatran population may be another closely related specie.

References

  1. 1 2 IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group (2022). "Abah River Flying Frog: Rhacophorus nigropalmatus". The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 3.1: e.T59008A64129329. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-2.RLTS.T59008A64129329.en . 59008. Retrieved July 1, 2023.
  2. ↑ "Wallace's Flying Frog (Rhacophorus nigropalmatus)". The Alfred Russel Wallace Website. Archived from the original on July 28, 2018. Retrieved 30 September 2021.
  3. ↑ Sukumaran (2005)
  4. 1 2 Tunstall (2003), Bordoloi et al. (2007)
  5. ↑ "Wallace's Flying Frog | National Geographic". Animals. September 10, 2010. Archived from the original on May 28, 2017.
  6. ↑ "Wallace's Flying Frog – Rhacophorus nigropalmatus". www.ecologyasia.com.
  7. ↑ Tunstall (2003)
  8. ↑ Young frogs camouflage themselves as poo, according to new study BBC
  9. ↑ Frost, Darrel R. "Rohanixalus nigropalmatus Boulenger, 1895". Amphibian Species of the World, an Online Reference. Version 6.0. American Museum of Natural History, New York. Retrieved July 1, 2023.
  10. ↑ Sunny Shah; Rachna Tiwari (November 29, 2001). Tate Tunstall; Michelle S. Koo (eds.). "Rhacophorus nigropalmatus Boulenger, 1895". AmphibiaWeb. University of California, Berkeley. Retrieved July 1, 2023.

Sources

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