Malayan Flying Frog
Encyclopedia
The Malayan Flying Frog (Rhacophorus prominanus) is a species
of frog
in the moss frog family
(Rhacophoridae
). It is found in Indonesia
, Malaysia, and Thailand
.
This is a largish flying frog
, with females growing to a body length of up to 7.6 cm (about 3 in), and males reaching up to 6.2 cm body length. Generally jade green on the back and somewhat translucent when small, a prominent red blotch on the webbing extends between the third and fifth hind toes.
Tadpole
s are greyish green and have no markings. Towards metamorphosis, they become greener. They lose their tail when they are about 30-33 mm long and freshly emergent juveniles measure about 15 mm. The labial tooth row formula (LTRF) is 5(2-5)/3 in small tadpoles and 6(2-6)/3 in older ones.
Its natural habitat
s are subtropical and tropical moist montane forests above 600 meters ASL
, where it inhabits river
s, intermittent rivers, and intermittent freshwater marsh
es. It is not considered threatened by the IUCN, which classify it as a Species of Least Concern.
However, the IUCN followed a recent study, according to which Rhacophorus tunkui was a junior synonym of R. prominanus. This synonymy was later criticized for severe methodological flaws:
It appears as if R. tunkui is indeed a distinct lowland sister species of the Malayan Flying Frog, about two-thirds of the length of the latter, and differing in some coloration details. Its tadpoles have two or three prominent black spots on each side of the tail base. While more research seems warranted, at present these frogs are better considered two species for the time being. It is not known how the range restriction of the Malayan Flying Frog to montane habitat would affect its conservation status; technically both taxa would more appropriately be considered as "data deficient".
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of frog
Frog
Frogs are amphibians in the order Anura , formerly referred to as Salientia . Most frogs are characterized by a short body, webbed digits , protruding eyes and the absence of a tail...
in the moss frog family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
(Rhacophoridae
Rhacophoridae
Rhacophoridae is a family of frog species, which occur in tropical regions of Asia and Africa. They are commonly known as shrub frogs, or more ambiguously as "moss frogs" or "bush frogs". Some Rhacophoridae are called "tree frogs"...
). It is found in Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
, Malaysia, and Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
.
This is a largish flying frog
Flying frog
A "flying" frog is a frog that has the ability to glide. That is, it can descend at an angle of less than 45° relative to the horizontal. Arboreal frogs can also descend vertically, but only at angles greater than 45°, which is referred to as parachuting...
, with females growing to a body length of up to 7.6 cm (about 3 in), and males reaching up to 6.2 cm body length. Generally jade green on the back and somewhat translucent when small, a prominent red blotch on the webbing extends between the third and fifth hind toes.
Tadpole
Tadpole
A tadpole or polliwog is the wholly aquatic larval stage in the life cycle of an amphibian, particularly that of a frog or toad.- Appellation :...
s are greyish green and have no markings. Towards metamorphosis, they become greener. They lose their tail when they are about 30-33 mm long and freshly emergent juveniles measure about 15 mm. The labial tooth row formula (LTRF) is 5(2-5)/3 in small tadpoles and 6(2-6)/3 in older ones.
Its natural habitat
Habitat
* Habitat , a place where a species lives and grows*Human habitat, a place where humans live, work or play** Space habitat, a space station intended as a permanent settlement...
s are subtropical and tropical moist montane forests above 600 meters ASL
Above mean sea level
The term above mean sea level refers to the elevation or altitude of any object, relative to the average sea level datum. AMSL is used extensively in radio by engineers to determine the coverage area a station will be able to reach...
, where it inhabits river
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
s, intermittent rivers, and intermittent freshwater marsh
Marsh
In geography, a marsh, or morass, is a type of wetland that is subject to frequent or continuous flood. Typically the water is shallow and features grasses, rushes, reeds, typhas, sedges, other herbaceous plants, and moss....
es. It is not considered threatened by the IUCN, which classify it as a Species of Least Concern.
However, the IUCN followed a recent study, according to which Rhacophorus tunkui was a junior synonym of R. prominanus. This synonymy was later criticized for severe methodological flaws:
"... the justifications provided by Harvey et al. (2002) were insufficient and unconvincing, especially when type materialHolotypeA holotype is a single physical example of an organism, known to have been used when the species was formally described. It is either the single such physical example or one of several such, but explicitly designated as the holotype...
of both R. prominanus and R. tunkui were not even examined."
It appears as if R. tunkui is indeed a distinct lowland sister species of the Malayan Flying Frog, about two-thirds of the length of the latter, and differing in some coloration details. Its tadpoles have two or three prominent black spots on each side of the tail base. While more research seems warranted, at present these frogs are better considered two species for the time being. It is not known how the range restriction of the Malayan Flying Frog to montane habitat would affect its conservation status; technically both taxa would more appropriately be considered as "data deficient".
See also
- Rhacophorus bipunctatusRhacophorus bipunctatusRhacophorus bipunctatus is a frog species in the moss frog family . It is found from eastern India into Southeast Asia, possibly to southeastern China and south to Malaysia...
and Rhacophorus rhodopusRhacophorus rhodopusRhacophorus rhodopus is a disputed species of frog in the moss frog family . It occurs in southeastern 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.-Description:R... - Rhacophorus kio a cryptic sister speciesCryptic species complexIn biology, a cryptic species complex is a group of species which satisfy the biological definition of species—that is, they are reproductively isolated from each other—but whose morphology is very similar ....
of Rhacophorus reinwardtii