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, Africa, Central America, and the northern half of South America. Many other genera were formerly included here^[1]; see below for details.

These true frogs are usually largish species characterized by their slim waists and wrinkled skin; many have thin ridges running along their backs but they generally lack "warts" like in typical toads. They are excellent jumpers due to their long slender legs. The typical webbing found on their hind feet allows for easy movement through water. Coloration is mostly greens and browns above, with darker and yellowish spots.

Distribution and habitat

Many frogs in this genus breed in early spring, although subtropical and tropical species may breed throughout the year. Males of most of the species are known to call, but a few species are thought to be voiceless. Females lay eggs in rafts or large, globular clusters, and can produce up to 20,000 at one time.

Diet

Rana species feed mainly on insects and invertebrates, but will swallow anything they can fit into their mouths, including small vertebrates. Among their predators are egrets, crocodiles and snakes.

Systematics

There are now some 90 species placed in this genus; many other species formerly placed in Rana are now placed elsewhere. Rana is now restricted to the New World true frogs and the Eurasian brown and pond frogs of the common frog R. temporaria group. ^[2] The validity and delimitation of the subgenera are somewhat disputed.^[3]

Genera recently split from Rana are Babina, Clinotarsus (including Nasirana), Glandirana, Hydrophylax, Hylarana, Odorrana (including Wurana), Pelophylax, Pulchrana, Sanguirana and Sylvirana. Of these, Odorrana is so closely related to Rana proper that it could conceivably be included here once again. The others seem to be far more distant relatives, in particular Pelophylax.^[1]

New species are still being described in some numbers.

Species

The harpist brown frog (also known as Kampira Falls frog or Yaeyama harpist frog) was formerly known as R. psaltes; it was subsequently identified as the long-known R. okinavana. The latter name has been misapplied to the Ryūkyū brown frog, but the harpist brown frog is a rather distinct species that apparently belongs in Babina or Nidirana if these are considered valid.^[4]

Footnotes

References

• Cai, Hong-xia; Che, Jing, Pang, Jun-feng; Zhao, Er-mi & Zhang, Ya-ping (2007): Paraphyly of Chinese Amolops (Anura, Ranidae) and phylogenetic position of the rare Chinese frog, Amolops tormotus. Zootaxa 1531: 49–55. PDF abstract and first page text
• Dubois, A. & Ohler, A. (1995) Frogs of the subgenus Pelophylax (Amphibia, Anura, genus Rana): a catalogue of available and valid scientific names, with comments on the name-bearing types, complete synonymies. proposed common names, and maps showing all type localities. In: Ogielska, M. (ed.): II International Symposium on Ecology and Genetics of European water frogs, 18-25 September 1994, Wroclaw, Poland. Zoologica Poloniae 39(3-4): 139-204
• Frost, Darrel R. (2006): Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 4, 2006-AUG-17.
• Hillis, D. M. (2007) Constraints in naming parts of the Tree of Life. Mol. Phylogenet. Evol. 42: 331–338. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2006.08.001 PDF fulltext
• Hillis, D. M. & Wilcox, T. P. (2005): Phylogeny of the New World true frogs (Rana). Mol. Phylogenet. Evol. 34(2): 299–314. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2004.10.007 PDF fulltext
• Matsui, Masafumi (2007): Unmasking Rana okinavana Boettger, 1895 from the Ryukyus, Japan (Amphibia: Anura: Ranidae). Zool. Sci. 24: 199–204. doi:10.2108/zsj.24.199 (HTML abstract)
• Pauly, Greg B., Hillis, David M. & Cannatella, David C. (2009): Taxonomic freedom and the role of official lists of species names. Herpetologica 65: 115-128. PDF fulltext
• Stuart, Bryan L. (2008): The phylogenetic problem of Huia (Amphibia: Ranidae). Mol. Phylogenet. Evol. 46(1): 49-60. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2007.09.016 (HTMl abstract)

Leopard frogs, also called meadow frogs, are the archetypal "grass frogs" of North America, consisting of about 14 species within the true frog genus Rana. They are generally very similar, green with prominent black spotting (though actually more like that of a cheetah than that of a leopard). They are distinguished by their distribution and certain rather subtle ecological, behavioral, morphological and genetic traits. Their range extends throughout temperate and subtropical North America to northern Mexico, with some species found even further south.

Once abundant in North America, their population has declined in recent years because of pollution and deforestation.^{[citation needed]} Leopard frogs are often used as environmental indicator species because of their heightened sensitivity to chemical pollutants found in the air and water, and they are commonly used as dissection specimens in biology classrooms. They were subject of some pioneering studies in evolutionary biology in the 20th century,^[specify] and continue to be of much interest to various disciplines of biology.

Taxonomy

Leopard frogs (meadow frogs) were often grouped with the American bullfrog and relatives in the genus Lithobates. Lithobates, however, is no longer recognized as a genus by most authors.^[1][2][3]

Species

Further species may exist in this famous cryptic species complex

• Rio Grande Leopard Frog, Rana berlandieri
• Plains Leopard Frog, Rana blairi
• Chiricahua Leopard Frog, Rana chiricahuensis
• Vegas Valley Leopard Frog, Rana fisheri
• Northwest Mexico Leopard Frog, Rana magnaocularis
• Island Leopard Frog, Rana miadis
• Transverse Volcanic Leopard Frog, Rana neovolcanica
• Guerreran Leopard Frog, Rana omiltemana
• Relict Leopard Frog Rana onca
• Northern Leopard Frog, Rana pipiens
• Southern Leopard Frog, Rana sphenocephala
• Ramsey Canyon Leopard Frog, Rana subaquavocalis
• Tlaloc's Leopard Frog, Rana tlaloci
• Lowland Leopard Frog, Rana yavapaiensis

In March 2012, it was announced that DNA testing had confirmed a new species of leopard frog had been found whose habitat was centered near New York's Yankee Stadium^[4] and included northern New Jersey, southeastern mainland New York, and Staten Island; the new still unnamed species is part of a cryptic species complex that was first distinguished by its short, repetitive croak, distinct from the "long snore" or "rapid chuckle" of other area leopard frog species.^[5]

Additional images

Northern Leopard Frog.

See also

The Tsushima Brown Frog, sometimes called the Tsuschima Leopard Frog, is not very closely related to the leopard frogs.

Footnotes

References

• Hillis, D.M. & Wilcox, T.P. (2005): Phylogeny of the New World true frogs (Rana). Mol. Phylogenet. Evol. 34(2): 299–314. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2004.10.007 PMID 15619443 PDF fulltext
• Hillis, D. M. (2007) Constraints in naming parts of the Tree of Life. Mol. Phylogenet. Evol. 42: 331–338. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2006.08.001 PMID 16997582 PDF fulltext
• Pauly, Greg B., Hillis, David M. & Cannatella, David C. (2009): Taxonomic freedom and the role of official lists of species names. Herpetologica 65: 115-128. PDF fulltext
• Newman, Catherine E., Feinberg, Jeremy A., Rissler, Leslie J., Burger, Joanna, Shaffer, H. Bradley (2012): A new species of leopard frog (Anura: Ranidae) from the urban northeastern US. Mol. Phylogenet. Evol. 63: 445-455. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2012.01.021

External links

• Leopard frog at Western Ecological Research Centre
• Leopard Frog Care Information at Caresheets.net
• Plains Leopard Frog - Rana blairi at the Iowa Reptile and Amphibian Field Guide

Pseudoamolops is a genus of true frogs.

Species

• Pseudoamolops multidenticulatus (Chou & Lin, 1997).
• Pseudoamolops sauteri (Boulenger, 1909).

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