List of amphibians of Korea
Encyclopedia
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
, including the Korean Peninsula
Korean Peninsula
The Korean Peninsula is a peninsula in East Asia. It extends southwards for about 684 miles from continental Asia into the Pacific Ocean and is surrounded by the Sea of Japan to the south, and the Yellow Sea to the west, the Korea Strait connecting the first two bodies of water.Until the end of...
and Jeju Island. A total of 20 species of amphibians are known from Korea; this includes two species of salamander
Salamander
Salamander is a common name of approximately 500 species of amphibians. They are typically characterized by a superficially lizard-like appearance, with their slender bodies, short noses, and long tails. All known fossils and extinct species fall under the order Caudata, while sometimes the extant...
that were not discovered until the 21st century.
This list treats the taxonomic designations found in Frost (2007) as authoritative. There have been major revisions of amphibian taxonomy
Taxonomy
Taxonomy is the science of identifying and naming species, and arranging them into a classification. The field of taxonomy, sometimes referred to as "biological taxonomy", revolves around the description and use of taxonomic units, known as taxa...
, including the taxonomy of many Korean species, since the late 20th century. This has included studies which have found species such as the Korean brown frog and Imienpo Station frog
Imienpo Station frog
The Imienpo Station frog, Glandirana emeljanovi, is a species of frog found in Northeast Asia. It has sometimes been regarded as a subspecies of the Japanese wrinkled frog, Glandirana rugosa, with which it shares many characteristics...
, which were previously considered to be Korean varieties or subspecies of more widespread species, to be distinct. It has also included a wholesale revision of the taxonomy of the Ranidae, or true frogs—for example, the common dark-spotted frog
Dark-spotted frog
The Dark-spotted frog, or black-spotted frog, Pelophylax nigromaculatus , is a species of true frog found in East Asia. It occurs across much of eastern and northeastern China, the Amur River valley in Russia, the Korean Peninsula, and most of Japan, although it does not occur on Hokkaidō...
was formerly classified as Rana
Rana (genus)
Rana is a genus of frogs. Species include such archetypal pond frogs as the common frog of Europe, brown frogs, and the New and Old World true frogs, including the various species of leopard frogs and the American bullfrog. Members of this genus are found through much of Eurasia, North America,...
nigromaculata but is now classified as Pelophylax
Pelophylax
Pelophylax is a genus of true frogs widespread in Eurasia, with a few species ranging into northern Africa. This genus was erected by Leopold Fitzinger in 1843 to accommodate the "green frogs" of the Old World, which he considered distinct from the brown pond frogs of Linnaeus' genus Rana.They are...
nigromaculatus.
The following abbreviations are used in the list:
- I: International status, as given in the IUCN Red ListIUCN Red ListThe IUCN Red List of Threatened Species , founded in 1963, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biological species. The International Union for Conservation of Nature is the world's main authority on the conservation status of species...
- K: General status in Korea, as given in various sources
- SK: Legal status in South KoreaSouth KoreaThe Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
- NK: Legal status in North KoreaNorth KoreaThe Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
Salamanders
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|colspan="100%" align="center" |Hynobiidae - 5 species
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|Korean salamander
Korean salamander
The Korean salamander is the most common species of salamander on the Korean peninsula, and is also found in adjacent portions of China and on Jeju Island...
|Hynobius leechii
(Boulenger, 1887)
|Mountain forests
|Throughout mainland
|
- I: Least ConcernLeast ConcernLeast Concern is an IUCN category assigned to extant taxon or lower taxa which have been evaluated but do not qualify for any other category. As such they do not qualify as threatened, Near Threatened, or Conservation Dependent...
- SK: ProtectedProtected species of South KoreaUnder South Korean law, the hunting and capturing of a large number of species of wild animals is prohibited. These include 64 species of mammals, 396 species of birds, 16 species of reptiles, and 10 species of amphibians. Most of these species are not actually endangered species, but are...
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|Jeju salamander
Jeju salamander
The 'Jeju salamander', also spelled Cheju salamander, Hynobius quelpaertensis, is a species of salamander found on various islands and peninsulas off the southwestern coast of the Korean Peninsula, including Jindo, Geojedo, Jejudo, and Namhae. It inhabits moist mountain forests.Jeju salamanders...
|Hynobius quelpaertensis
(Mori, 1928)
|Montane wetlands
|Southwestern islands and peninsulas, including Jeju
Jeju-do
Jeju-do is the only special autonomous province of South Korea, situated on and coterminous with the country's largest island. Jeju-do lies in the Korea Strait, southwest of Jeollanam-do Province, of which it was a part before it became a separate province in 1946...
|
- I: Not assessed
- SK: ProtectedProtected species of South KoreaUnder South Korean law, the hunting and capturing of a large number of species of wild animals is prohibited. These include 64 species of mammals, 396 species of birds, 16 species of reptiles, and 10 species of amphibians. Most of these species are not actually endangered species, but are...
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|Kori salamander
Kori salamander
The Kori salamander is a species of lentic breeding salamander found in southeastern South Korea. It is similar to the Korean salamander but is distinguished by factors including tail shape and dorsal coloration.The Kori salamander takes its name from Go-ri, a village in Hyoam-ri, Jangan-eup,...
|Hynobius yangi
(Kim, Min, & Matsui, 2003)
|Moist mountain forests
|Far southeastern South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
|
- I: Not assessed
- SK: ProtectedProtected species of South KoreaUnder South Korean law, the hunting and capturing of a large number of species of wild animals is prohibited. These include 64 species of mammals, 396 species of birds, 16 species of reptiles, and 10 species of amphibians. Most of these species are not actually endangered species, but are...
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|Long-tailed salamander
Long-tailed salamander
The Long-Tailed Clawed Salamander , Onychodactylus fischeri, is a species of clawed salamander found in Northeast Asia. It ranges through northeastern China, the Russian Far East, and the Korean Peninsula, but is only sporadically distributed within this range...
|Onychodactylus fischeri
(Boulenger, 1886)
|High in forested mountain streams
|Throughout mainland
|
- I: Least ConcernLeast ConcernLeast Concern is an IUCN category assigned to extant taxon or lower taxa which have been evaluated but do not qualify for any other category. As such they do not qualify as threatened, Near Threatened, or Conservation Dependent...
- SK: ThreatenedThreatened speciesThreatened species are any speciesg animals, plants, fungi, etc.) which are vulnerable to endangerment in the near future.The World Conservation Union is the foremost authority on threatened species, and treats threatened species not as a single category, but as a group of three categories,...
, ProtectedProtected species of South KoreaUnder South Korean law, the hunting and capturing of a large number of species of wild animals is prohibited. These include 64 species of mammals, 396 species of birds, 16 species of reptiles, and 10 species of amphibians. Most of these species are not actually endangered species, but are...
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|Siberian salamander
Siberian salamander
The Siberian salamander, Salamandrella keyserlingii, is a species of salamander found in Northeast Asia. It is found primarily in Siberia, in wet woods and riparian groves. There are also outlying populations in northern Kazakhstan and Mongolia, and also in northeastern China and on the Korean...
|Salamandrella keyserlingii
(Dybowski, 1870)
|Wet and riparian forests
|Northeasternmost North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
|
- I: Least ConcernLeast ConcernLeast Concern is an IUCN category assigned to extant taxon or lower taxa which have been evaluated but do not qualify for any other category. As such they do not qualify as threatened, Near Threatened, or Conservation Dependent...
- NK: Natural MonumentNatural monuments of North KoreaThis is a partial list of the natural monuments of North Korea. A total of 935 natural monuments have been designated.-No. 1 - 50:-50-100:-No. 101 - 150:-No. 251 - 300:-No. 351 - 400:-See also:*Natural monuments of South Korea...
|-
|colspan="100%" align="center" |Plethodontidae
Lungless salamander
The Plethodontidae, or Lungless salamanders, are a family of salamanders. Most species are native to the western hemisphere, from British Columbia to Brazil, although a few species are found in Sardinia, Europe south of the Alps, and South Korea...
- 1 species
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|Korean crevice salamander
Korean crevice salamander
The Korean crevice salamander is a lungless salamander. It dwells under rocks in limestone forest areas of the Korean peninsula. It was discovered by Stephen J...
|Karsenia koreana
(Min et al., 2005)
|Mossy limestone rockslides in oak-pine forests
|Southwestern South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
|
- I: Least ConcernLeast ConcernLeast Concern is an IUCN category assigned to extant taxon or lower taxa which have been evaluated but do not qualify for any other category. As such they do not qualify as threatened, Near Threatened, or Conservation Dependent...
|}
Frogs and toads
|-|colspan="100%" align="center" |Bombinatoridae
Bombinatoridae
Bombinatoridae are often referred to as Fire-bellied toads because of their brightly colored ventral sides, which show that they are highly toxic to humans. This family includes two genera, Barbourula and Bombina, both of which have flattened bodies.Bombina are warty, aquatic toads about in...
- 1 species
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|Oriental fire-bellied toad
| Bombina orientalis
(Boulenger, 1890)
|Well-vegetated wetlands
|Throughout
|
- I: Least ConcernLeast ConcernLeast Concern is an IUCN category assigned to extant taxon or lower taxa which have been evaluated but do not qualify for any other category. As such they do not qualify as threatened, Near Threatened, or Conservation Dependent...
|-
|colspan="100%" align="center" |Bufonidae - 3 species
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|Asiatic toad
Asiatic toad
The Asiatic toad, or Bufo gargarizans, is a species of toad endemic to East Asia. It is common in China and portions of the Russian Far East The Asiatic toad, or Bufo gargarizans, is a species of toad endemic to East Asia. It is common in China (specifically Anhui, Fujian, Gansu, Guizhou, Hebei,...
| Bufo gargarizans
(Cantor, 1842)
|Widespread
|Throughout
|
- I: Least ConcernLeast ConcernLeast Concern is an IUCN category assigned to extant taxon or lower taxa which have been evaluated but do not qualify for any other category. As such they do not qualify as threatened, Near Threatened, or Conservation Dependent...
- SK: ProtectedProtected species of South KoreaUnder South Korean law, the hunting and capturing of a large number of species of wild animals is prohibited. These include 64 species of mammals, 396 species of birds, 16 species of reptiles, and 10 species of amphibians. Most of these species are not actually endangered species, but are...
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|Korean water toad
Korean water toad
The Korean water toad, Bufo stejnegeri, also sometimes known as the Korean toad or water toad, is a species of toad found in East Asia. Two distinct populations are known to exist, one in eastern Liaoning province of northeastern China, and one in the central mountains of the Korean Peninsula...
| Bufo stejnegeri
(Schmidt, 1931)
|Riparian mountain forests
|Central Korea
|
- I: Least ConcernLeast ConcernLeast Concern is an IUCN category assigned to extant taxon or lower taxa which have been evaluated but do not qualify for any other category. As such they do not qualify as threatened, Near Threatened, or Conservation Dependent...
- K: RareRare speciesA rare species is a group of organisms that are very uncommon or scarce. This designation may be applied to either a plant or animal taxon, and may be distinct from the term "endangered" or "threatened species" but not "extinct"....
- SK: ProtectedProtected species of South KoreaUnder South Korean law, the hunting and capturing of a large number of species of wild animals is prohibited. These include 64 species of mammals, 396 species of birds, 16 species of reptiles, and 10 species of amphibians. Most of these species are not actually endangered species, but are...
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|Mongolian toad
Mongolian toad
The Mongolian toad, also known as the piebald toad or Siberian sand toad, is a species of toad found in East Asia. It ranges through much of China, Mongolia, and the Russian Far East, and is also found in the northern Korean Peninsula...
| Pseudepidalea raddei
(Strauch, 1876)
|Dry, sandy soil
|North Korea
|
- I: Least ConcernLeast ConcernLeast Concern is an IUCN category assigned to extant taxon or lower taxa which have been evaluated but do not qualify for any other category. As such they do not qualify as threatened, Near Threatened, or Conservation Dependent...
|-
|colspan="100%" align="center" |Hylidae - 2 species
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|Japanese treefrog
| Hyla japonica
(Günther, 1859)
|Widespread
|Throughout
|
- I: Least ConcernLeast ConcernLeast Concern is an IUCN category assigned to extant taxon or lower taxa which have been evaluated but do not qualify for any other category. As such they do not qualify as threatened, Near Threatened, or Conservation Dependent...
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|Suwon treefrog
| Hyla suweonensis
(Kuramoto, 1980)
|Widespread
|West central Korea
|
- I: Data DeficientData DeficientData Deficient is a category applied by the IUCN, other agencies, and individuals to a species when the available information is not sufficient for a proper assessment of conservation status to be made...
- SK: ProtectedProtected species of South KoreaUnder South Korean law, the hunting and capturing of a large number of species of wild animals is prohibited. These include 64 species of mammals, 396 species of birds, 16 species of reptiles, and 10 species of amphibians. Most of these species are not actually endangered species, but are...
|-
|colspan="100%" align="center" |Microhylidae
Microhylidae
Microhylidae is a geographically widespread family of frogs. There are 413 species in 69 genera and nine subfamilies, which is the largest number of genera of any frog family.-Description:...
- 1 species
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|Boreal digging frog
Boreal digging frog
The Boreal digging frog, Kaloula borealis, is a species of microhylid, or "narrow-mouthed," frog found in Northeast Asia. Its range covers much of central and northeastern China, the Korean Peninsula, and Jeju Island...
| Kaloula borealis
(Barbour, 1908)
|Near cultivated fields
|Throughout
|
- I: Least ConcernLeast ConcernLeast Concern is an IUCN category assigned to extant taxon or lower taxa which have been evaluated but do not qualify for any other category. As such they do not qualify as threatened, Near Threatened, or Conservation Dependent...
- SK: EndangeredEndangered speciesAn endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...
|-
|colspan="100%" align="center" |Ranidae - 8 species
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|Korean brown frog
|Rana coreana
(Okada, 1928)
|Near cultivated fields
|Throughout
|
- I: Not assessed
- SK: ProtectedProtected species of South KoreaUnder South Korean law, the hunting and capturing of a large number of species of wild animals is prohibited. These include 64 species of mammals, 396 species of birds, 16 species of reptiles, and 10 species of amphibians. Most of these species are not actually endangered species, but are...
- NK: Natural MonumentNatural monuments of North KoreaThis is a partial list of the natural monuments of North Korea. A total of 935 natural monuments have been designated.-No. 1 - 50:-50-100:-No. 101 - 150:-No. 251 - 300:-No. 351 - 400:-See also:*Natural monuments of South Korea...
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|Dybowski's frog
Dybowski's frog
The Dybowski's frog, Rana dybowskii, is a species of true frog found in Northeast Asia. It is found in the Russian Far East, the Korean Peninsula, and the Japanese island of Tsushima...
| Rana dybowskii
(Günther, 1876)
|Forests
|Throughout
|
- I: Least ConcernLeast ConcernLeast Concern is an IUCN category assigned to extant taxon or lower taxa which have been evaluated but do not qualify for any other category. As such they do not qualify as threatened, Near Threatened, or Conservation Dependent...
- SK: ProtectedProtected species of South KoreaUnder South Korean law, the hunting and capturing of a large number of species of wild animals is prohibited. These include 64 species of mammals, 396 species of birds, 16 species of reptiles, and 10 species of amphibians. Most of these species are not actually endangered species, but are...
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|Huanren frog
Huanren frog
The Huanren frog, Rana huanrenensis, is a species of true frog found in East Asia. It was originally believed to be endemic to Huanren in China, but was later also found in South Korea; it is presumed to be present in North Korea as well...
|Rana huanrenensis
(Fei, Ye & Huang, 1991)
|High mountain streams
|Sporadic throughout mainland
|
- I: Least ConcernLeast ConcernLeast Concern is an IUCN category assigned to extant taxon or lower taxa which have been evaluated but do not qualify for any other category. As such they do not qualify as threatened, Near Threatened, or Conservation Dependent...
- SK: ProtectedProtected species of South KoreaUnder South Korean law, the hunting and capturing of a large number of species of wild animals is prohibited. These include 64 species of mammals, 396 species of birds, 16 species of reptiles, and 10 species of amphibians. Most of these species are not actually endangered species, but are...
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|Dark-spotted frog
Dark-spotted frog
The Dark-spotted frog, or black-spotted frog, Pelophylax nigromaculatus , is a species of true frog found in East Asia. It occurs across much of eastern and northeastern China, the Amur River valley in Russia, the Korean Peninsula, and most of Japan, although it does not occur on Hokkaidō...
|Pelophylax nigromaculatus
(Hallowell, 1861)
|Stagnant water in forests and meadows
|Throughout
|
- I: Near ThreatenedNear ThreatenedNear Threatened is a conservation status assigned to species or lower taxa that may be considered threatened with extinction in the near future, although it does not currently qualify for the threatened status...
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|Seoul frog
Seoul frog
The Seoul Frog is a species of true frog found on the western Korean Peninsula, and possibly in Liaoning. It is closely related to the Eastern Golden Frog, P. plancyi, and was long considered a subspecies thereof...
|Pelophylax chosenicus
(Okada, 1931)
|Ponds and rice paddies
|Western Korea
|
- I: VulnerableVulnerable speciesOn 30 January 2010, the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species identified 9694 Vulnerable species, subspecies and varieties, stocks and sub-populations.-References:...
- SK: EndangeredEndangered speciesAn endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...
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|Imienpo Station frog
Imienpo Station frog
The Imienpo Station frog, Glandirana emeljanovi, is a species of frog found in Northeast Asia. It has sometimes been regarded as a subspecies of the Japanese wrinkled frog, Glandirana rugosa, with which it shares many characteristics...
|Glandirana emeljanovi
(Nikolskii, 1913)
|Slow streams and wetlands
|Throughout mainland
|
- I: Least ConcernLeast ConcernLeast Concern is an IUCN category assigned to extant taxon or lower taxa which have been evaluated but do not qualify for any other category. As such they do not qualify as threatened, Near Threatened, or Conservation Dependent...
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|American bullfrog
|Rana catesbeiana
Shaw, 1802
|Stagnant waters
|Throughout
|
- I: Least ConcernLeast ConcernLeast Concern is an IUCN category assigned to extant taxon or lower taxa which have been evaluated but do not qualify for any other category. As such they do not qualify as threatened, Near Threatened, or Conservation Dependent...
- K: InvasiveInvasive species"Invasive species", or invasive exotics, is a nomenclature term and categorization phrase used for flora and fauna, and for specific restoration-preservation processes in native habitats, with several definitions....
|}
See also
- List of mammals of Korea
- List of reptiles of Korea
- List of freshwater fish of Korea